Update

Well, the noodles worked! First night - no rolling out of bed. 2nd night she actually did once. I have no idea how unless she was actually trying to crawl out to come over to me. The last 2 nights she was okay again and slept the whole night through. A friend of mine suggested giving it a week for Ruby to get used to it so that is what we are doing. She goes in there happily each night and really likes her bed so that is a big deal. Maybe we will actually leave her bedroom before she's 10 after all!

Potty training...well, that's not so great. Loves her new potty and will use it upstairs but I need a gimic and stickers for downstairs now, too. And perhaps another paper crown and wand. This works pretty well. But her stomach issues persist and now we are concerned about giradia again. I will absolutely scream if she has it again! Jeff had what we thought was a virus but now he's getting checked too. Have a call with Dr. Jane on Tues. The saga continues.

In other news, things have calmed down in Thailand, and now the clean up is underway.  The TRC and DSDW are back to work and as far as I know the Embassy is open again. I heard from my friend Anna that no harm has come to the children at TRC and I am sooo grateful. Thank God. Also, the children at Mercy Centre are safe. Such a relief! I continue to work to promote the CD here and there but there is never enough time it seems. Still, we sold some, made a donation and we are still working on it.

Have a fun and busy weekend planned. A trip to our hometown tomorrow to see family, a cook out at a friends Sat, a girls night out for me on Sat night, and a cook out here with some friends on Monday. Should be a great time! Wishing you all a happy Memorial Day weekend!

The Disneyland of Dentistry

No kidding. This place was AWESOME! We entered this magical tooth-fairy land of purple and green yesterday for Ruby's first-ever dentist appointment. The entrance is actually so pretty with it's butterflies and flowers painted all over the walls, that I wish I could scrap the whole play room we have and start over with a similar design! (The pics here do not do the place justice. You can't see the sparkly purple floors or lobby paintings, etc. They have added so much since these shots). The waiting room has a big video game station in one corner and a few small games for the littlest patients. There is also a big house for climbing and discovering and books and toys. Upon entering the patient areas, it is equally adorable.

The Doc and her girls are INCREDIBLY sweet and loved Ruby. (No, I did not make them pose - this is from their website). She was sooo comfortable there and happily hopped up in the chair. I wasn't expecting too much in the way of protest cause the kid LOVES her oral hygiene, but the staff there made the whole process a fun and painless experience for her.

First they gave her the choice of four animals - each having a full set of magnificent teeth. She chose the alligator. The hygienist let her feel the tooth cleaning brush on her hand first, then try it out HERSELF on the alligator. Ruby loved this, of course, as she got to be in control! Then it was her turn to have her teeth cleaned. She sat back like an angel. They have this very cool monitor where the doc checks out her teeth with this scope/light thing and Ruby could see them up on the screen in front of her. She thought this was just fantastic and was all smiles!

Rubes got a clean bill of health and has no cavities or issues. Hooray! AND the dentist did not see a problem with me giving her gummy vitamins and the occasional fruit snack which makes me very happy. (Whew! Thought I was gonna lose my secret weapons!)  She said as long as she brushes shortly thereafter and keeps up with the good brushing/flossing habits she'll be fine. They gave her this fabulous power toothbrush with Elmo on it (she got to choose one of 4 designs) and I had to fight her to give it back tonight. LOL, don't think keeping up with good brushing will be a problem! If all that wasn't wonderful enough, they then had her hop down and pick not one but THREE gifts from the goodie bin!  She also got stickers, flossers, and a balloon. Mommy got that adorable pic above as a keepsake. The kid was grinning from ear to ear the whole time and I must say, so was I!

All of this made me think back to my first dental experiences. Oh, how I hated the dentist! I had a lot of cavities and eventually braces and I can still remember those early appts like they were yesterday! Mean old Dr. Cackovic with his cigarette smelling fingers shoved in my mouth (gotta love the 70's)...picking away with his little silver torture device...always ready to shove that awful 3 inch needle of novocaine in there. Yet as much as I hated that shot, I always needed more and he insisted I did not...so I could feel him drilling as he gave me a filling. Boy, how dentistry has changed, huh? So glad Ruby has such a warm and fuzzy place to go to! I am making a fuss about the place cause it is in such stark contrast to what I experienced and well, cause it's really so great for her, but I also have to say I was SO proud of Ruby today. She just amazes me all the time the way she handles things. Each day is like an adventure for her and she greets the new things and people she meets with curiosity and fearlessness. I am in awe of you, Ruby! Always be the sweet, inquisitive little darling you are! And let's keep that beautiful smile just the way it is so ALL your dentist appointments go this well!

Ruby To A "T"

About the Aries Child

A Natural-Born Leader

If your Aries son or daughter was born ahead of schedule, it should come as no surprise: Aries children are always pushing ahead of the pack. With an "Are we there yet?" outlook, they are impatient to arrive and get started already!

Aries children possess a passionate, creative, and restless nature. They seem to have more energy than other children, with a vitality that's matched only by their natural bravery. Their "me first" attitude can be a challenge for anyone who has to contend with their high spirits and frequent self-absorption.

Legendary for their straightforward honesty, Aries children tell it like they see it. They can overstep boundaries because they're naturally impulsive and tend not to look before they leap.

As the parent of a young Aries, you're probably no stranger to epic temper tantrums. Yes, Aries children have a hard time keeping their emotions under control, but there's a positive side to this: They don't hold a grudge. Once the fireworks are over, so is their anger.

Since Aries children are great at starting grand projects but not as keen on sticking with them, you'll need to be patient as you guide your child gently but firmly, helping her stay on track.

Also make sure she gets plenty of exercise. Any vigorous activity will be an excellent outlet for her energy, and if it's a competitive sport, so much the better. But be sure she wears a helmet or any other essential safety gear. In their eternal hurry, Aries children tend to be accident-prone.


                                                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


This is so dead on that Jeff & I had a good laugh.  We think her energy and her creative, determined spirit are wonderful traits to carry her through life. That, coupled with her sweet, loving heart will take her far!

We've Got A Date!

No, not a date with each other, but a date in court! We are going to finalize the adoption of our sweet girl on July 7th!!! Woo-hoo! A long time coming but finally here...just a few short weeks away! We got the call from our home study agency today and are very excited. Will be going to court in our home town so it will be nice to have our family there with us on the big day.

Dearest Ruby, you have been our daughter in our hearts since the moment we laid eyes on you, but now you will legally be our daughter and share our last name on paper. We are forever blessed to know you, love you and call you our sweet baby girl. And yes, you are a big girl now, but you'll always be our baby!

A Royal Post

The Princess and her royal subjects

Well, progress sure is moving in fits and stops around here. We totally gave up the potty for awhile, then I promised her a camera and this worked real well for a few days until she got a stomach virus. I will spare you the details but let's just say we could never make it there fast enough. So.... we were back to square one. Feel bad that she ended up with this after having stomach issues for so long! But hey, at least she doesn't seem to feel too bad and thank God it isn't giardia.  I didn't buy the camera for her yet but I will. It's going to be the big reward for when she is pretty much dry during the day consistently. For now, I've got another gimmic:

Her Rubiness on the Royal Throne. Yesterday I found this adorable Princess Potty book at Barnes & Noble and she really really liked it. Comes with a paper crown you wear only when on the potty and has princess reward stickers that you decorate the potty with. A brilliant idea! Potty training is back on!

        

Hmmm...very interesting! As you can see, she finds it to be QUITE the good read!

In other BIG GIRL news... my "baby" has a big girl bed! Jeff converted the crib into a toddler bed. I have to say I teared up that night seeing her in it. So proud of her and yet it's another sign of her growing up so fast! The bed looks real cute and Ruby loves it. My Mom gave us this pretty pink mosquito net canopy and it really princessed-up the bed. Jeff put it all together Sunday eve and then lined up all her princess dolls and favorite stuffed animals. We made a big fuss and "reveal" and she was very excited to climb in her "Princess Big Girl Bed"- as we call it. First night, she went in there, but I had to crawl in with her and lay there until she was out. She rolled off once in the night. Thankfully, the big pillows I stuck on the floor caught her and I heard it as soon as it happened. I ran over and she was so solidly out that I could just scoop her up and put her right back in bed! Didn't wake up or even move! Now that is deep sleeping!

Morning after she slept in her bed for the first time

We woke her up with a surprise: a baby Snow White Doll I've been saving in the closet. We made a big fuss about how proud we were that she slept in her Princess Big Girl Bed and how beautiful it is and what a big, big princess girl she is.

Happy with her new baby "Snow".

Then yesterday we went to Target together to pick out new bedding. She wanted the Disney Princesses, of COURSE, and also the CUTEST owl pillow. So we got 1 princess pillow, 1 owl pillow, 1 princess sheet and blanket set, and 2 adorable nighties I could not refuse. One with Princesses on it and one with Dora. She went in happily for her nap, but it took a little more work to get her in there last night for bed.

Yesterday's nap was a royal breeze. Ah, if all days were so easy!

Loving her nightly book time with Daddy. (No, we don't read Wine Spectator to Ruby, LOL. That one is Daddy's evening read).

Love how she grabbed his face for this shot. She was having so much fun snuggling up with Daddy last night she didn't want to go to bed! We finally got her down (late) by me laying with her again till she was out. I don't know how we will ever be able to leave her room as this has been a SLOW process. She had some royal nightmares last night and was up crying a few times. Was it the new bed or The Little Mermaid she begged to watch? I thought that was one of the less scary ones but then, there is that awful sea witch. Guess that's off the list now, too. She finally fell back into a deep sleep around 4, but then at 8:30 this is what we found:

Uh-oh! Somehow she managed to roll herself, Elmo, Penguin, her owl pillow, her Princess pillow, and 2 blankets off the bed, onto the big pillows, over the sleeping bag and then onto the floor without waking us or herself up. Oh my! I was about to go buy safety rails today when a parent at Little Gym told me to get pool noodles and tuck them under her fitted sheet. Said she read about them in Parent's Magazine and it really works. Teaches them to stay in the middle by creating a "border" that keeps them safely in. Great idea and only cost me $2 at the Dollar Store! I'm trying them out today so I'll let you know how it goes. She is napping with them in now, but the true test will be if it will keep her from rolling out at night!

Royal challenges around here...but royal fun, too!

A Year Ago Today...

...our referral landed in Wacap's hands. Can you imagine? What a difference a year makes! At the time they knew we couldn't possibly wait till the next week to get here, so they emailed it to me. We were BEYOND happy. In shock.  A little emotional (me). And yes, very excited...all at once. You can read the full post here if you want to take that ride down memory lane with us. Actually this will take you to the month of May, 2009 so you'll have to scroll down to the 22nd for the post. But suffice it to say, it was an incredible moment. One of the most incredible at that point. Today, a year later, Ruby is playing and watching Little Einsteins while Jeff and I get ready for dinner. Just a normal night and yet the memory of the wait and what we went through to get here is never that far. Every parent has had their own journey and story. But I think as an adoptive parent there is this sense of gratefulness that comes with such a LONG, LONG wait that makes you appreciate the little mundane stuff so much more. For they are OUR mundane, every day moments. Ours...as a family. And it's wonderful!

CD Sales Now 100% to Charity

I've been rather unmotivated to push my CD the last few months. Busy with Ruby...enjoying my time with her and our outings...and not feeling like doing the networking and hard work that comes with promoting a CD. Until this week. The more I have read about the conflict in Bangkok the more I have been moved to action. So I set out to sell as many CD's as possible and made a decision:

100% of CD sales from ALL of my CD's will go to charity. That means my jazz CD's as well as the new lullaby CD. Half or more will still go to Mercy Center and the rest will go to the Thai Red Cross. 

If you know anyone that is a new mom who would like the CD, please buy one at this time. You can read more on this on my music blog: http://butterflymoonmusic.blogspot.com
Click on the link to the left to buy Butterfly Moon. See www.macimiller.com to buy the others.Thank you for your caring support!

I Am Sad

The fighting continues in Bangkok and it's been very much on our minds and in our hearts. As it turns more and more violent, I find myself in complete disbelief. How can this happen to such a peace loving country like Thailand? Why do humans always find a way to cause trouble and fight with one another? Why do they think violence is the answer? Thailand has always been a country that has worked out most of their problems with non violence ...until recently. It makes me very sad.

I got an email from Father Joe today. He is worried for the safety of the children at Mercy. There are fire bombs being let off all over the city and one just hit a nearby slum. They have watchmen all over the place to help guard the center. The older kids on the 3rd floor have been alerted to watch as well. How difficult their lives have already been and now they have to worry about a fire bomb? Many of these children have AIDS, too. How unfair is it that they have to see this happen during their final days?

As I sit here in the comfort of my kitchen, all my morning "woes"- cold weather, house a mess, didn't accomplish much today, Ruby not napping, etc. - fall to the wayside in their pettiness. How lucky are we to have Ruby home safe and sound. My heart wants to reach out and give those kids a big hug today. How I wish I could reach out and give all of Bangkok a big hug today. Mercy Centre has already put the word out that they will take in all children and families that need medical attention and/or a place to live. They will turn down no one. In Father Joe's words - never have, never will. So what can I do? I am only one but I can send them more money soon to help and keep them in my thoughts and prayers. Please do the same - at least with the prayers. Not only for Mercy, but for peace in all of Thailand. Especially all those beautiful children living with their family and/or living in orphanages in Bangkok.

www.mercycentre.org

UPDATE: I completely forgot about the TRC being so close to all the riots and fires yesterday! My heart is heavy. HUGE prayers for all the children and workers there and all the people caught up in this horrible ordeal. Also, wishing a safe return for all the families there and no delays for the families that are still waiting. God, guide your children to safe havens and get them swiftly home to their families!

Library Card

Well, for the first time in AGES I am using my library card. What an amazing concept to get books for free instead of buying a zillion new ones. Yes, I have been living under a rock...obviously. No, but really the thing is I love books. Love to read them, own them, see them neatly stacked on the shelf, and even pull them down from time to time to reread or share with someone. This having to give the book back thing was hard for me at first, but the benefits to picking up new books all the time for Ruby is WONDERFUL! So off to the library we go!

They have a real cute kids section at our local library and some nice events. Jeff is taking Ruby to a Daddy and Me book-reading and craft night tonight. So excited for them to have that special time together! I took her there this week and we looked at books and brought a few home. The librarian suggested Eric Carle. Evidently, he is quite popular but I can't say I am mighty impressed. The Very Hungry Caterpillar is cute, but they are not my favorite books. Odd to me and no sweet characters. But that's me...the ever whimsical, warm and fuzzy romantic. However, Ruby seemed to like them and so did Jeff, so hey! Why not? It's better than television!

In an attempt to clean up and reorganize the ever-growing collection of things in the playroom, I moved most of the books out of there and into the living room. We read books at nap and bedtime now and I also read her one or two while in the tub. I am also thinking we should have a once a week family night in the living room where there is no toys or tv to distract us. Not sure the two of them will last a whole night each week without it but I'm gonna try! :-)

Even though I do have that library card and a seriously collection of books already, I could't resist buying 2 more. I found these online at:
 100% of the money for these sweet, sweet books goes to charity. Go to THIS website to order yours!

Bye Bye Bottle!

Well, I didn't want to write about it until a few days had past and I was sure it was true. But, low and behold, we have officially KICKED THE BOTTLE! After the ear doc told Ruby (and me) it wasn't good for her ears I stopped that night. She whined for about 5 minutes and that was it. I reminded her what the Dr. said and that it could hurt her ears and teeth. She asked for it again the next night and it was over in even less time. Never mentioned it again. Wow. I never thought it'd be so easy! I find myself mixed with excitement, pride, and a little sappy sentiment - for it is another sign of her growing up soooo fast! Without the bottle, she doesn't stay on my lap as long for lullabies. (Boo hoo) She'd rather wriggle out and lay beside me or go to her crib. Takes a little longer to get her down, too, but not much. But oh, how I already miss holding her like a baby and watching her drink her bottle. Thank God for our morning snuggles! I'm holding on to them as long as I can!

On another note, I started flossing her teeth and she is quite fascinated. Go figure! I did it once and now she requests it once or twice a day. This kid never ceases to amaze me!

Happy Happy Mother's Day!

My first Mother's Day. How nice a ring that has, huh? Waking up to her sweet face, holding her close, and the 3 of us snuggling...what better way could there be to start the day? How I love this sweet girl! How she has made my life complete!

I had great plans for this day...brunch at the Four Seasons, trip to the zoo, perhaps a picnic, breakfast with my mom...all of which did not work out for one reason or another. Mom had to go home and the Four Seasons could only take us at 4pm which is too late for lunch and too early for dinner. The weather was SOOO chilly and windy that we couldn't bare the thought of walking around outside so that means the zoo was out of the question. So, we came up with a plan B. Let Ruby sleep in, take our time, have lunch at home, and head to the NJ Aquarium for the day. Ruby loved it and we had a lot of fun. We had taken her to an aquarium in Bangkok, but of course everything was so scary and new then. It was really amazing to see how she has come into her own and see her now enjoy this so much. She was so excited, got to pet a starfish, and loved all the different fish and sharks. She was especially ga-ga for the hippos. I don't know when exactly she started this fascination with hippos, but it's really cute. I showed her pics of the aquarium before we left and she was so excited when I told her she would see them. And when she actually did she just stared in complete amazement. I have to say they were quite cool. She liked the penguins, also, and the 4D penguin movie. However, the Planet Earth movie scared her a bit. She crawled onto my lap which I must admit I loved. How I love to hold her. But when she buried her head in my shoulder we got up to leave. We hit the bottom of the step and found it was over anyway! She quickly forgot about it when I produced a snack and her water bottle. :-)
 Here are some shots of our day:

Photo op in a "sharks" mouth. Ruby was not as excited as Mommy about this one.

Jeff cracked up over this pic cause we have nearly the same expression on our face as we're watching the  penguins. We were willing them to move from their sunning meditative state. Ruby said "Go, go penguin! Swim!!!"

Now this was a photo op Ruby could get into.

Probably the highlight of her day...getting her face painted. When we asked her what she wanted she said bumble bee. They gave her a few bees and flowers and she was thrilled!

Checking herself out and happy with the results! 

Happy to pose for Mommy.

And now a few silly shots of us in our 4D glasses...

The Hubster

The Bumble Bee Flower girl

And the Momster...yes, we know we look like geeks. But I assure you, it's all the rage at the theaters.

Jeff was so good to me this weekend. He bought me a lovely bouquet of red roses and while lilies. Gorgeous. He gave me a beautiful card with words so sweet and then a cute little Disney card from Ruby where he had her scribble near her name. It's the best scribble I've ever read! I'm a mom and not just any mom but HER mom. Of course, I am biased, but to me she is the sweetest, most lovable, huggable, darling, fun, beautiful, happy, silly little girl on the planet. My greatest gift. My greatest joy. The love of our lives. It doesn't matter where we go or what we do...as long as you are there with us. I love being your Mommy!

Wishing all the new moms, old moms, grandmoms and soon-to-be moms a very wonderful day!

Date Night!

Woo-hoo! Mom & Dad got a whole 2 hours out on the town...the first date night in 8 months and long overdue. We only went to the next town over for dinner, but it was great. My Mom came up to watch Ruby and Jeff made reservations at this great little BYOB french restaurant. Quaint, romantic, amazing food but since it's BYOB we could bring our own favorite wine and not plunk down a fortune. (We have Sesame Place passes and summer vacations for that!) 

So I only called my Mom 3 times during our outing and Ruby was, of course fine. Mom knew she loved Princess and the Frog when we rented it so she went out and bought it for her. So sweet of her!  She also got her a cute play set of the prince and princess that Ruby was very excited about. So we ordered them some Thai food, turned on the movie, and hit the door. Ruby barely noticed we were gone, but Mommy & Daddy ended talking about her through most of the meal. And really, how could you not? We got some great big hugs on our return which was really just as great as the whole night out. It went real well for our first outing. Hmmm...we may have to make this a once a month thing!

Big thanks to Mom for coming up to help!! We love you!

Happy Birthday Dad!

Can't wish my Dad a happy birthday in person today cause he is out in the middle of the ocean with my brother Jason. The 2 of them are on a cruise until tomorrow, lucky buggers! Dad came for a visit before they left and we made him a proper birthday dinner. Here are some cute pics of him with Ruby.

Dad playing guitar for Ruby. Think he is singing his favorite song here - Love Me Tender. He is playing on MY new guitar, actually. So excited...I start lessons next week! Hey, it's never too late to learn!

Ruby and Jeff watch and listen.

Then, of course, my little ham went and grabbed her own guitar.

It was a great visit. Wishing you a very happy birthday today, Dad! We love you!

My Daughter Sleeps With A Sponge...and other Hilarities

Yes. She has added a sponge from her housekeeping cart to her bed time entourage. Too funny. She loves that thing. "Cleans" with it, pretends it's a make-up sponge, and now sleeps with it. Amazing the things kids find entertaining. Gotta sneak that thing out for another cleaning.

Another (gross) but funny story. Today she actually went on her potty but it was because I knew she was about to go and we were in the bathroom anyway. I made a big deal of it as if it was her idea. After she was done she proudly looked in her potty. I said YOU DID IT! And she said "LOOK!" Yes, I see it, honey, you went potty! "LOOK! HIPPO!" she said. "Hippo???" I said. "Hippo!" she said. "Do you think it looks like a hippo?" "YES!" Uh, okay, if you say so. I had another word to describe it and it wasn't that! (YUK!) Ah, the creative mind of a toddler.

And since that one was rather disgusting, I will leave you on a lighter note. We haven't really been potty training for the last few days. Just here and there and SHE actually brought it up twice since I didn't! But this picture was from the last day of potty boot camp where I asked her every half hour.  It's also the day she abruptly decided she wasn't interested anymore. In a last ditch attempt, I said cheerfully, "Come on, Ruby! Let's go potty!" THIS was the response I got.

Yea, uh. Think that's a definite NO.

Another One of Those Days

...where I just want to pinch myself. She was such a happy little thing today even though she tossed and turned and got little sleep last night. We went to the ENT today and it went pretty well. She was so good and far more patient than she should be for a 3 year old! We were there for 2 hours and had a full audiology test as well as ear check. I was so glad they could get us in to see audiology today instead of coming back for another appt. Found out she still has mild hearing loss. Not bad and not permanent, thankfully, but there is still fluid in her ears. She has had a runny nose the last few days so it could be fluid from allergies or a cold. The bottle at night is probably not helping. Guess we'll just have to wait and see how it clears up in the coming weeks. In the meantime, the Dr. did not seem concerned. She hears at a normal range and hears high frequencies well, but not some low ones. I had the Dr. tell her no more bottles because it could hurt her ears and we tried it tonight with only minimal fuss. We'll see how the rest of the week goes. Yes, I know what I said about letting her be a baby, but the bottle can actually drain into her ears and that is not a good thing. Not to mention her teeth. So I've changed my tune and the bottle is on it's way out. The Doc didn't think she needed tubes as of now, but we need to go back in 2 months to double check. If it gets worse then we'll have to consider it.

I got all teared up during the hearing test when she happily played the "game" and requested it to be "ON" when she was waiting for the beep at one point. (This was before I found out it's not permanent hearing loss and wasn't that bad.)  She thought it wasn't on but she just didn't hear it. But when I think about how clogged and confused she must have felt at times with both a new language and muffled sounds...how my heart feels for her! And yet, she is the happiest, most determined kid with such a love of learning. Her EI teachers and organizers are amazed at how much she has picked up in such a short time and that is before knowing she still has some hearing loss. We start up speech therapy in a couple weeks. I am so proud of her easy going nature and strong spirit. How far she has come and what a miracle how well she does hear compared to our reports last year. Think she will do real well with speech therapy and even better when we clear up those ears!

After her appt. we hit the fabulous King Of Prussia mall for food and shopping. First the Cheesecake Factory for lunch (which did not disappoint) and then shoes for Mommy and a Princess Tiana doll (from Princess & The Frog) for Ruby. Yea! And a bunch of other stops in between. She loved that movie and was so sweet all day that I couldn't resist getting it for her when she hugged it lovingly in the store.
Much to Mommy's delight, Ruby loves to shop and the both of us had a ball walking around and trying stuff on. Oh, how I dreamed of fun/silly/girlie days like these. She was just so cute.

Came home and she played outside a bit with our neighbors granddaughter. So sweet to watch them play nicely together. Jeff and I actually got a chance to sit and just chat as the girls splashed away at the water table. Had dinner outside and ended the night snuggling with the cuddle bunny. A great day.

Clean Bill of Health!

Went to NYC yesterday for Ruby's appt. with Dr. Aronson.  It made for a long day, but Ruby was a real trouper. An angel on the way up. She played with her doll, looked at her book, and we sang a lot of songs.  Slept the whole way back. We got there early, had some lunch, and then walked back to the office. She was a little taken back by the "loud trucks" and wanted me to hold her, but otherwise she was great.  As for Dr. Jane, she is a sharp lady with a very direct demeanor. Not a lot of small talk, but she has a heart of gold. So good with Ruby and you can tell she loves children and what she does. Ruby got a clean bill of health! Her giardia gone, of course, eczema much better, immunizations good for the year, etc. And she's gained weight finally! We don't own a scale here so I didn't know if she gained weight or not the past few months. We knew she was taller and appeared longer and leaner. Dr. Jane confirmed her height with us - 36"- and her weight is now 27 lbs! She is in the 13th percentile for height and the 23rd percentile for weight! Hurray! Perfectly healthy! The only thing she suggested was to make sure we take Ruby to the Dentist which I haven't done yet. So that will be  on my list of calls to make today. After running all day yesterday, we are gonna lay low today. Have a lazy morning, maybe hit the park, then play outside in her pool this afternoon. It's feeling like summer out there, and boy, do I love it! Just another month till we take Ruby to the beach for the first time! Can hardly wait!

You Are Still Our Baby

Why do we rush childhood? Doesn't it go fast enough on it's own? I mean, we don't do it on purpose, of course. We are eager. We get excited to do new things, learn new things, do the big Disney family movie night, let them experience all the things we did or didn't do as kids. And then there is our agenda: get them potty trained by the time they go to pre-school/camp/day care,  move them into their own room so WE can feel more comfortable, get them off the bottle or binkie or whatever because they are "supposed to" at this age. We worry they won't learn enough, do enough, hit the milestones they are supposed to enough by such and such a time, etc. Ha, and by "we" I mean "me". I have fallen prey to worrying about most of these things from time to time and tonight it just hit me. Why? Why not embrace every single minute of it? Let her be a baby awhile longer.  No, I don't mean to baby too much or hold her back in any way. But to let the sweetness linger a bit longer...let her take her time. These moments won't last forever! 


She was so fun and cuddly this weekend. Instead of running around we spent the greater part of the weekend just hanging out in the back yard. She was SO happy to have Daddy home! Clutched on to his leg and followed him around the first night. She was like his shadow. It was so sweet. We had a real nice weekend just being home together. We were outside a lot cause the weather was gorgeous. Ruby's a TOTAL water baby! I think we changed her clothes 4 times yesterday cause just when we thought she was done playing in the water, she'd jump back in again! Today we were smart and just let her in her swim suit all day. We bought a blow-up pool with an elephant sprinkler thing and she was in heaven! Also played with her water table a lot. What fun to watch her splash and play and squeal with delight! And how relaxing for Jeff and I to just kick back with an ice tea and watch! Potty training has gone down the toilet. Haha. Except not literally. She was doing so good, then had a few accidents, then just decided one day that she wasn't interested anymore. I found myself pushing the issue too much which only made her protest more. So you know what? I am letting it rest for now. She is also still on a bottle at night and I still sleep in her room. Sometimes she wakes up in the night from a nightmare and wants to sleep with Mommy. But you know what? I love that I can be there for her. I can sleep when I'm dead! (My mom hates when I use this phase - sorry mom!)  But for now I can embrace those middle of the night wake-up's and excuses to hold her close.


Tonight I had an epiphany. We were all on the couch snuggled up. Ruby in between Jeff & I as we watched  "Charlotte's Web". We were all snuggled close and I thought to myself, man, THIS is what it's all about. THESE are the cuddly moments I waited so long for and I am gonna enjoy them for as long as they last. She is bright and will soon go to school and figure out that the other kids use the potty. She's not gonna be ten and still taking a bottle. She will phase out of that soon I am sure. She is gonna grow up WAY TOO FAST and right before my eyes. So what the heck am I worrying about if she isn't potty trained yet? She's gonna get it eventually! Why do I want her sleeping alone in her room when these special moments of holding and singing her to sleep could be gone in a year or two as she becomes more and more independent? As she got sleepy tonight and snuggled close with her Momma, I - again - realized how precious these moments are. She still needs to be a baby sometimes. Holding on to the diaper, the bottle, her mommy, etc. may be her way of holding on to the nuturing that goes with all of those things. She waited a long time for those things. I'm not gonna take that away from her until she's ready.  So instead of worrying about getting her being potty trained by my own deadline, I'm gonna cherish all those "baby" moments we have together for as long as we have them.  


To Ruby - Take your time, sweet girl, to grow up. We'll be right here by your side every big and little step of the way. Mommy and Pa love you soooo much. You may not be a baby for long, but you will always be OUR baby.