Ruby at 8 Months

Well my little baby is a little too busy leaping over milestones.  I think she feels she's been watching her brother run and jump around too long and she's determined to figure out how to keep up with him.  

She is SO full of life!

She's weighing in at 22lbs - 95th percentile, is 29 inches long - 95th percentile, and her head circumference is 17 6/8 inches - 85th percentile.  Growing, growing, growing.  I'm so over it!  I need this girl to stay my baby longer than she's planning.  

Her schedule has been a bit all over the place.  With Steve's internship taking him from us pretty much the whole day, he gets home and wants to play with the kids for a while (while I'm counting down the seconds for them to go to bed).  Thus, bedtime has gotten later, which then makes us get up later.  SO - her schedule is roughly wake up around 8 (sometimes even closer to 9), nurse, eat her usual oatmeal with prunes, play with Ross and Mommy, naptime anytime between 9:30 and 10:30 until 11:30-12.  Nurses around 12:30, eats lunch (a veggie and a fruit), maybe play outside, or read some books, 1:30-2 down for nap number 2 until about 3:30 or 4.  Wake up and play, nurse around 5, dinner around 5:30 or 6, play outside, practice crawling, try to eat wood chips, 7 or 7:30 - be thrilled that it's Daddy time.  8 - bedtime routine (bath every other night, pjs, scriptures, prayers, stories, songs, snuggles, and bed by around 8:30.
 

I love the phase when they can sit up and play with their toys, but not go anywhere.  I LOVE it.  Just when she was pretty independent at sitting without any pillows, she figured out how to tip over onto her belly (yes it's a tip) and proceeded to figure out how to do some army crawling.  However, she usually needs a charge up first before the scoots - so she gets on her hands and knees, rocks madly back and forth, gaining momentum, and then projects herself forward, landing on her belly and scoot, scoot, scoots to wherever her heart desires - much to Ross's dismay, who's become a bit more protective of his cars and trucks he doesn't want her sucking on.  He's gotten into grabbing a "Ruby/baby toy" to hurry and switch with her.  She still doesn't mind...but I'm pretty sure she will soon.  Ross is going to have to really learn the meaning of the word "share" then...not just sometimes, but pretty much all the time. :)  Ruby also has been figuring up how to push up on her hands and feet even if she's feeling particularly energetic.  This girl better wait until she's at least a year till she walks!

 

Sportin' the sittin'

She shes her next victim

She knows exactly what she's going to do

 

Mission accomplished

Ready for take off

Goal in sight

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Sorted!

Ruby is also experimenting with growling these days.  She likes to see what different levels and tones she can manipulate her voice to do.  Ross has been the master teacher with all his machine sounds he makes all the time.  

She knows how to drink out of a sippy cup - and can feed it to herself - not continuously, but she definitely knows how to get herself a drink.

As of today she knows how to clap her hands!  She thinks it's hilarious when you clap them for her though.

She's figured out I put headbands on her and if she remembers, she tries to take them off.  It's a battle I'm not going to give in to.  She doesn't have enough or thick enough hair for barrettes and she looks adorable with headbands.  I will win the battle over her cuteness!

Ruby loves making different faces and when she's so "over" what's going on - she usually raises her head, looks at the ceiling, and proclaims her moans to the world.
 

Sittin' up these days

She seriously has a thing about my signs!

This is Ruby's "I'm taking something in" face :) a usual

Ruby's current favorites:
Spinach/Carrot/Peas
Popsicles (it's a love/hate relationship for obvious reasons)
Chewing on Ross's cars
Being tickled
Sleeping on her side (not surprising since she decided to enter this world sideways)
Being held by her brother - she always laughs when he snuggles her
Puff snacks - she can feed them to herself, but only if she happens to grab it the right way.  She usually prefers to lean forward and eat them out of your hand.
Scratching at different textures - her pack 'n play, our metal waste basket, the couch, her car seat, her diaper - you name it - she'll test it out.
Calling for you like she's in dire distress, only for her to be ready to party the second you walk into her room.  Faker!  We still fall for it too.

I love my Miss Rubies!

Thank goodness she still has her chubby legs for me to squeeze, and adorable baby face to kiss.  She does get more and more fun - she is just so excited about life in every way and doesn't want to miss a second of it.  I love that about her.  She has a gift for lighting up the room with her constant smiles and laughs for everyone.  She has a real gift for making people happy.  I'm so grateful Heavenly Father blessed us with her.  She adds everything and more to our lives.  Our family rocks!