Week 22

Week 22 Highlights
- Happy Father's Day to Jay!  We celebrated with a big breakfast in the morning and chinese food for dinner.
- A trip to the park with the Wiebe's.
- Turned 5 months!
- Can get her toes into her mouth.
- Started eating rice cereal.  We only give it to her once a day mixed with water and sometimes a little juice.  She's doing pretty well so far!  Some nights she is more eager than others but she doesn't just spit it out.  And sometimes she re-eats the same spoonful about 8 times before it all gets in her mouth.
- Still loves the exersaucer but definitely just prefers to lay on the floor on her back.

- LOVES to stand up (assisted of course).

- Also LOVES to take showers with us.  She's almost outgrown the infant bathtub and can't sit up by herself yet to take a bath in the tub so someone suggested just taking her in the shower.  This is the best idea ever.  In the past, bath time was hit or miss...sometimes she loved it and sometimes she just screamed.  And no matter what she splashed water all over the place.  She giggles and laughs through the whole shower...no tears and a clean baby make me feel like a winner.

Week 21

Week 21
- Teething.  Very little sleep for everyone.  Dear Lord, let it end soon.
- Growth spurt.  Very little sleep for everyone.  Enough said.
- Ruby is getting much more coordinated with her hands and feet.  She grabs her toes and seems to have much more control over her toys when she plays with them.
- Has rolled from her back to her stomach a few times.
- Stayed in the church nursery for the first time.  I took her in at the beginning of the sermon and stayed with her for about 10 minutes.  She ended up being in there probably about 20 minutes by herself.  She was evidently happy for about 15 of those.  I'll call it a victory.
- Tried unswaddling this week.  Not very successful.  When she's tired, Ruby rubs her hands all over her face.  This results in scratching herself and knocking out her pacifier every 5 seconds.  Even with short nails she ended up with about 5 scratches (see picture below).  We are going to try again in a couple weeks.  Also, I think my daughter could win an arm wrestling match with a 200 pound man.  How does she get out of the swaddle?!
- Is falling in love with her daddy.  Mommy is getting some much needed time to herself.

Week 20

Week 20 Highlights
- Excuse me for a moment while I choke down the fact that my baby is 20 weeks old.
- Ruby drools everywhere.  All the time.  Teeth must be coming soon.

- A trip to the beach this week with Grandma Donna, Aunt Susanne, Grandma Sharon, Aunt Kristen and cousins Anna and Caroline.  Predictably, Ruby was a mama's girl but she did seem to like all of the attention from Anna and Caroline.

- I can get the biggest smiles out of Ruby when I smack my lips together and the biggest giggles when I rub my nose on her belly button.  She also likes when I blow air on her bare buns while I'm changing her diaper.

- Ruby loves to be on her feet.  Standing in our laps or on the floor and she loves the exersaucer (at least for about 15 minutes)

- My friend Christa made the comment this week that Ruby is all girl.  Usually you hear this said about boys...because they like to be dirty and rough.  But it's true, Ruby seems to have very strong emotions and opinions.  When she's happy, she is sooo expressive and excited.  When she's upset though, WATCH out.  Girl can have an attitude and there isn't much you can do to reign it in.  But our little sweet and sassy girl is the light of our lives right now, we can't imagine our world without her!

Ruby and Dad

When Ruby was born I immediately thought she looked a lot like Jay.  She has several of his facial features, particularly his nose.  This week I found some of Jay's baby pictures and felt like I was looking at pictures of Ruby.  I even found a couple of poses just like pictures I already have of Ruby.

(ok, I guess these aren't that similar.  I just love that picture of Jay)

Week 19

Week 19 highlights
- Still wearing 3 month clothes, some 6 month.  I love baby girl summer clothes!
- Naps are getting longer!  Not always, but there have been multiple times where she stayed down for an hour or more.  After weeks of exactly 30 minute naps, this is really exciting.
- Ruby has started to grab everything.  She loves to pull her shirt or dress up and suck on it.  She also has started to pull hair.
- She LOVES to look at herself in the mirror.  She can be really upset but see herself in the mirror and start to giggle.  We've started giving her baths in front of the bathroom mirror and she loves it.

Week 18

Week 18 Highlights
- 4 months old!  Stats - 12 pounds 8 ounces, 24 inches
- Ruby has discovered that she has a voice.  She squeaks and squeals all day long.  I'm sure there will come a day when it starts to annoy me but right now it is so dang cute!
- Rolling over is few and far between but if it is first thing in the morning we can get her to do it a couple of times.

Week 17

Week 17 Highlights
- Ruby rolled over this week!  She has never been a fan of being on her stomach so I rarely have her do "tummy time", but the other day I set her on her stomach and then walked into the kitchen to put something away.  When I came back she was on her back!  I turned her over again and she rolled over right away.  She has only done it a few times since, usually first thing in the morning, but I have a feeling regular rolling is right around the corner!
- Ruby's temperament has been a bit better this week and she's been sleeping better.  We've been spending lots of time outside (which she loves) and I've been drinking less caffeine. (I was really hoping this wouldn't make a difference...but it does :(
- Ruby continues to be very serious, particularly when I'm not around.  I often feel bad that other people can't get her to smile, she just stares them down.  I'm becoming curious about what her personality will be.  Is she just cautious and observant or is she going to be sort of sassy and particular about who she opens up to?