9 months

I'm a little behind on this, but before 10 months is in sight I wanted to note a few things about this past month. At nine months...

1. Ruby met two sets of great-grandparents. Not everyone has the chance to ever meet their great- grandparents, but Ruby totally scored recently by meeting both my dad's parents during a quick trip to Bakersfield and Sam's granddad and his wife Marge while they were visiting in San Clemente. I know she won't remember the visit, but I'm still glad she had the opportunity.

Ruby felt right a home in my Grandma's arms.





Ruby with Granddad and Marge.


2. She had her first trip to California. I still consider myself a California girl so it's always a little weird for me to think that I have Carolina kids. Maybe someday they will know what it's like to be more than just a visitor. Ruby enjoyed a quick trip with us to California for Ingrid's wedding and was especially a fan of exploring all of the airports along the way.



3. She loves to stand and play. She is no longer happy to play seated, and is always working her way over to something to pull up on. She thinks she one of the "big kids" now.



4. She has some "favorite things" to play with. I think babies this age are a little funny in that they will really play with anything. A plastic lid, a wrapper, a crumb...nothing is off limits. Ruby will play with anything, but she definitely has some favorites. One of those favorites is crayons. I'm not sure if it's because she always sees the boys with them or what, but she loves to pick them up, look at them, feel them, drop them, pick them up again, pass them from one hand to the other, and lick them (they are non-toxic, right?). She doesn't really try to eat them, but she will play with them longer than just about any other "toy". A future artist perhaps?


5. Well, if she is not a future artist then she is a future librarian for sure. Another one of her favorite activities is to "reorganize" our book shelves.


6. She's a major pincher. Hair, skin, lips..she does it all. She's cute, but she can also be painful. And when we've neglected trimming her nails she's like a little cactus.


7. She loves to give zerberts (is that really a word?). I so wish I had a picture documenting this, but it is just about the cutest thing. She'll just do it randomly on my arm or neck while I am holding her and then laughs at herself. I think she is pretty funny too.


8. She has teeth. I tried and tried, but I couldn't get a picture where you could see her two cute bottom teeth, but she has them.


9. She's becoming a climber. It's not enough to be next to the dishwasher anymore...she has to be in the dishwasher.


10. She's learning how to "play back" with her brothers. Max loves to tease Ruby and now she's figuring out how to return the favor.


Each day I get to know Ruby and her cute personality a little better and find even more reasons to love her. Can't wait for next month.