Author: Marci

Theo completed his Pre-K year and we couldn’t be more proud.

Here is a photo of Theo with his teacher, Ms. Gallagher.

His class put on the sweetest performance last week. I loved it!

Theo and his BFF, Hazel, dancing!

Me and Theo outside of his school after the stepping up ceremony.

Theo, we couldn’t more proud of all that you accomplished this past year. You write all of your letters, upper and lowercase. You can recognize some words when reading. You know all the months of the year and understand time in a much deeper way, i.e. seasons, days and months as they pass, as well as time in the day. You’ve learned to be a better sharer, and a good friend.

And now, Kindergarten here we come!

Little Miss is 17 months old. Hard to believe. Just one month shy of 1 1/2. The sweetest little girl to ever walk the Earth. Ruby is blossoming into a little toddler. The picture above, for whatever reason, just really struck me. She looks older… much more kid-like than I’ve ever seen her before.

Ruby is beginning to say several new words. Some that I can think of right now are: go, baby, bagel, stairs, chip. She’s a gal of few words. She is quiet and thoughtful and clearly has comprehension without saying much. She has a name for Theo that I’m trying to decipher. It sounds like “mimi” or, simply, “baby” (said repeatedly like “mimibabybaby”). It’s sweet. She shakes her finger, saying “nononono” while also shaking her head, in an adorable act of mimicking Mama when she knows she shouldn’t be doing something.

Ruby has about five teeth coming through at the moment. Her favorite foods are watermelon, chicken sausage and cheese, I would say. She’s a climber and loves exploring that skill. She has complete control to walk up steps, and is still cautious going down steps (which is good!) and she holds on tight. Ruby loves to go down the slide at the playground. She is just beginning to have more interest in the baby swing.

Ruby just had her first flight! I took her to Austin to visit my dear friend of 30 years, Diane. I’m happy to report she did amazing. A little squirmy on the airplane when she wasn’t sleeping, but overall I’d say pretty awesome. I’ll post more photos soon.

Happy 17 months, Ruby!

Memorial Day weekend we set off for our first family of four camping trip. We went with two other couples and their kids. Sylvania Tree Farm is a lovely, remote campground that is part of land owned by one family in Lackawaxen, PA. It’s on the Delaware River, and was complete with horses, a railroad track and (thankfully) a well kept bath house! Theo was so excited for the trip. He was such a big helper and really was in his element. The land owner, Jane, was this amazingly friendly woman who really keeps this place running nicely. Her and her sons bring fresh water for washing dishes, firewood, ice, quarters for the hot shower 😉 etc. She also drives around an ATV and the kids were THRILLED to get a ride on that bad boy. We even drove over the railroad tracks and the kids took turns on her lap steering the wheel. The kids mostly skinny dipped in the river, skipped rocks, pet horses, built stuff at the campsite, played with their scooters and wiffle ball we brought and roasted marshmallows.

The downside… the first night was freezing. We were cold and I was up most of the night just cold and anxious. Theo seemed to sleep fine, Ruby slept a long stretch and then after she woke up to nurse she basically just stayed on me or closely sandwiched between me and Jay as I presume she was cold. I was fully prepared to enjoy the next day and then drive home after dinner. Jay decided he would hit the nearest Walmart for reinforcements, plus the temperatures were much better and the night lows were probably 20 degrees higher the second night. Needless to say, we survived and the second night was much more comfortable. Ruby took up practically an entire queen sized air mattress, and Jay and I slept smooshed into the crack between the two air mattresses. In the morning when Theo woke up he said, “When you’re camping, nighttime is really quick! I closed my eyes and then woke up and it was already morning!”. I beg to differ, young man. I’m so happy that he had such an awesome time, though.

And, Ruby girl! She did amazing. She really enjoyed herself and had a blast. No complaints, whatsoever. She subsisted on watermelon, cheese, chicken sausage and breastmilk the entire weekend. She was happy as a clam.

My favorite part of the trip was when the four of us explored from the Delaware River through the creek back to the campsite. We each had walking sticks and waded through the babbling brook, wove our way around and got to walk under the railroad track, which was definitely a big highlight for Theo.

It was a ton of work, but really fun. Theo and I each brought home a tick, and Jay did six loads of laundry. All in all it was a success! 🙂

Little Miss is 16 months! Ruby has blossomed into a full blown toddler, it seems. Toddling around and exploring at all times. She is super strong on her feet and really lights up our days. Ruby is beginning to say a lot of words. Most notably, “cah”. As in “car”, but with a real New York accent. I love it. She enjoys playing with cars and Theo’s garage set, so this word has become a fast favorite. Also, bus, mama, yia yia, papa, baby.

She is getting great at using utensils and also points to herself when you ask, “where is Ruby?”. She is a hilarious giggler and loves to play tickles and just giggle at any number of things (read: Theo). Ruby loves the slide at the playground, and can go up the stairs pretty well. Down is tricky, still. She continues to be obsessed with scooters and is beginning to get the scoot down. Since riding scooters is so big here, everyone we go she immediately gravitates to any scooter and helmet she sees. She must think this world is just flooded with scooters! Theo has upgraded his scooter to a bigger one, so his old one is now hers for practicing.

A lot of teething has been happening lately. I see three new teeth cutting through Ruby’s gums. Poor thing. We’ve had a stretch of increased nighttime wakings, I presume due to teething. I think hope that she is back on track with waking only once per night the past few nights. She is napping about two hours per day.

Ruby had her first camping trip this past weekend and I will post more on that family excursion soon. She did great, though!

Tuesday was Theo’s second swim class in his new spring session. He is very happy about this class and he woke up Tuesday morning at 7:30am launching right into a long-winded decision making process about which bathing suit he would wear for his second class that day. You see, last week he wore his orange one. During the past week he had been discussing which one he would wear next, and what he would wear each class for the several weeks following. His decision making process went like this:

(First thing in the morning, me still half asleep on the couch)

Theo: I’m going to get my bathing suit on. (brings out all four bathing suits he owns) I think I’ll wear the plaid one. (puts it on and continues to look closely at the pile of suits)

Me: Sounds good.

Theo: But I’m really distracted by the orange one because I really love orange. (takes off the plaid ones)

Me: Wear the orange ones again if that’s what you want.

Theo: Yeah, there is plenty of time to wear the other bathing suits. After today I’ll still have five more classes left! (impressive mathematical skills!)

Theo taught Ruby how to jump in puddles last week.

Ruby has stolen all of our hearts.

Happiest…

And silliest gal around…

This girl LOVES playing with scooters more than anything, I swear. Everywhere we go and she sees one she is pointing and grunting for it. Helmets, too. When she gets to play with Theo’s she is occupied for a very long period of time. I think she will be riding by the time she is 18 months. She is so little, though!

We visited the doctor last week for her well visit. Ruby is 18.1 pounds (10%) and 30 inches (32%). She had her fourth round of the DTaP/HIB/IPV vaccines, and the fourth round of the Pneumococcal vaccine. She is now 90% immunized! Way to be, Ruby. Stranger anxiety was in full effect and she wanted no part of Dr. Gold’s funny business. We got through the visit on my lap and all was right in the world pretty soon after the blood curdling after-shot screams.

Ruby is trying to say some words, although only the first syllable comes out. Some words are: ball, dog, duck, dada, mama. Mostly we are still just pointing a lot and showing comprehension by following our commands to do this or that, get this or that. If you ask Ruby, “what does a doggy say?” she does the cutest interpretation of a “woof”. It’s basically just a “pfff”, if one can imagine what that sounds like. She enjoys pointing to animals in books and hearing what they are and what sounds they make. She always points to dogs on the street, but cowers in fear around my leg if she is walking near one. Ruby can now point to her feet, hands, nose, belly button on request, in addition to her previous accomplishments 😉 Still signing “more”, “milk” and “eat”.

Overall Ruby is doing wonderfully. She is happy and sweet and eating well. She naps is the AM for about 2 hours before taking Theo to school, and she goes to bed at 6:30pm, typically waking once during the night.

Happy 15 months, Ruby! Love her, love her, love her!!

I guess today is National Sibling Day? Not sure what that even is, but hey…

These two have each other for life, and for that I’m thankful.

Theo took Ruby down her first slide and it was the sweetest ever.

And when we are outside Ruby has been quite adamant about walking along with us rather than me carry her. She usually puts her hand up so that she can grab my finger and walk with me (obviously adorable). The past couple times Theo has shouted “I’ll hold her hand!” and he walks with her. Melt my freakin’ heart.

My dad visited us a few weeks ago and we had some fun while he was in town. We had one city-filled day, and one day when my dad and I took Theo on a special solo trip (no Ruby) to his favorite place, The Transit Museum.

Theo had been wanting to go back to the always fun Children’s Museum of the Arts in Manhattan. We tried to visit on a school holiday in January and that proved to be a silly idea. It did, however, earn us free passes to come back on a less crowded day. So what a perfect time it was to skip school and hit the big city when Papa was in town!

A favorite at CMA is the ball pond, of course. Ruby wanted to get in there so badly.

The rest of the time Theo spent painting and gluing and such, which was great.

And a trip to NYC for Papa would never be complete without dinner at Katz’s Deli. We dropped Ruby off at home with Daddy and headed BACK into the city for this excursion. We met my dad’s oldest friend from elementary school there, and Theo had a blast receiving all the crazy gadgets Eric gave him to play with.

And staying out past sundown!

Theo loves the Transit Museum so much. And he was so thrilled to go with just me and Papa. He enjoys running around the old trains on the platform level…

but most of all he loves playing with the electricity and learning about the various forms of energy. They have a whole section demonstrating how each of the alternative forms of energy function. Pretty cool. Here he is showing how wood is an insulator of electricity and copper is a conductor.

Come back again soon, Papa!

Ruby is 14 months. Yes, it is going by shockingly fast. I’m so, so, so excited for the summer. For us to be free from school obligations, for Ruby to get to enjoy the great outdoors and for us to just have some sun and warmth. I don’t like to wish away time when it seems to go by so quickly, but right now, I’m kinda hoping for time to speed up just a touch.

Ruby is great. She is now pointing at everything. It’s very cute and helpful because she can show me what she wants! A big step in the right direction. The pointing does typically come along with some sort of grunt, shriek, moan, etc. Girl knows what she wants.

Ruby really understands a lot of what we are saying and I simply can’t believe it! I don’t remember when humans develop these abilities, and I haven’t bothered to look back at when Theo did, but I just didn’t expect that so quickly she would be so with the program, ya know? She showed me where my phone was the other day shoved along the side of the couch. I was floored. She shows me where Theo is hiding during hide and seek, and if I say, “where is the doggy?” she will go and grab the dog from the fire station. Genius, I tell you! 😉

Besides her head, she also knows where her ears are located. Ruby still only has four teeth! She is walking all around now and it’s fun, fun, fun. She still stumbles, but a walking baby she is.

Ruby also has developed her connection to her sweet little lovey, “foxy”. It’s a fox, just like Theo’s monkey. I always have it with us when nursing her before bedtime and nap, and around the time she turned one, she started laying on our shoulder with it and snuggling with it in bed. Now, when I’m rocking her before putting her in the crib, she lays on it on my shoulder, and when she’s ready, she sits up, grabs foxy and lunges for the crib. I lay her down on her belly with foxy under her face all snuggled up and cute. And when I get her up from nap time, she will point and grunt towards foxy so I know she still wants him close by. Very sweet.

Ruby loves clothes. I’m serious. It’s starts young, I guess. She picks out a sweater and stretches out her arm for us to put in on her. She means business.

She like to eat a lot, though she’s not shy to throw food on the floor when she is not in the mood. This changes from day to day. Generally, though, she’s eating pretty well. She loves seaweed.

Still nursing 1 – 2 times per night and several times during the day.

Speaking of which, she is basically onto one nap these days. I was hesitant to believe it but it seems that is the deal these days. She takes a long one in the late morning, but then not again until bedtime at 6:30.

Ruby will be back for her 15-month well visit next month. Stay tuned!