Happy Birthday Ruby!

Ruby turned 3 yesterday & it was a fun day filled with her favorite things. She was so excited over every little thing we did which made it even more fun. I took her to get donuts in the morning & as she carried the box inside the house she said, "That was so awesome, mom!" The day was filled with cute one-liners like that. We spent the afternoon at the aquarium which is definitely Ruby's happy place & then came home for dinner & a little birthday party. She now has quite the collection of princess dresses & I loved watching her open her dinosaur toys while wearing a big sparkly dress. That girl is the best of both worlds & I hope I never forget her reaction when she opened the boxes of dinosaurs & her eyes got as wide as her smile & she just started screaming & then roaring. It was a great day. There's nothing quite like seeing your child as happy as can be and surrounded by people who love them. It kind of helps balance all of this nostalgia that seems to creep up anytime I realize my kids are growing up too fast.

 

 

 

 

 

And this is for you sweet Ruby. Some of the things your mama would like you to remember:

1. Believe in 'Happily Ever After'. You live in a world that will try to tell you marriage is old-fashioned, monogamy isn't realistic, & staying at home to raise your children isn't worthwhile. It is. Nobody reaches their 'Happily Ever After' without earning it, but I promise you that it's there & it's yours for the taking.

2. Love your brother. Brothers are one of the best kinds of friends & you'll forever remember the good times the two of you have together. Make your time together count.

3. Get a good education. Be prepared to hear this from me for your entire life. You'll not only make yourself more intelligent & well-rounded by doing this, but you'll also provide a way to be self-sufficient & independent. And that is a beautiful thing, my dear.   

4. Follow your heart, but take your brain with you. Enough said.

5. Pray, pray, pray. Don't forget that you're a daughter of God. He loves you perfectly & you are never alone. Tell Him how you're feeling, express thanks, tell Him what's going on in your life, talk to Him when you're scared or lonely or happy. And then rest assured that He hears your every word & He cares deeply for you.



Pre-Birthday Festivities

We had a little early birthday celebration for both the kids earlier this week & it was so much fun. Ruby has been looking forward to her birthday for weeks now & was over the moon when she came home from preschool & found these balloons. I love how thrilled she is with the simplest things.

 

When Ruby woke up from her nap I had the table set & a few decorations out & she came into the kitchen wide eyed & said, "Mom! It's all so beautiful!" She noticed every little detail & complimented me on it all & it makes me just want to kiss her & thank her over & over again for making me feel so good. 



And Noah got his first cupcake & loved it. First birthdays are just the cutest & I loved watching him try to figure out what exactly we had given him. The next day I was eating a cupcake while he was sitting in his highchair eating lunch & he stared me down & then starting grunting & saying, "Mama! Mama!"...he really wanted another cupcake. Now on to more birthday celebrations!



Dear Ruby,

I sent you off to preschool even though you begged me not to make you go. When you woke up you were so excited to wear your new backpack & smiled with delight as you wore it for the first time. I let you wear your favorite pants - the black & white striped leggings that I keep meaning to either hide or throw away. You cried the whole way there even though you were trying so hard to pull it together. I told you all about how much fun you would have & what a nice teacher you have & how much you would learn. I put on a happy face & told you how excited I was for you, but what you didn't know is that underneath it all, a part of my heart was breaking. Breaking for you & your anxiety for the unknown, & breaking for me as I realized this was the first of many good-byes to come. I know that you going to preschool is hardly something to get heartbroken over, but it wasn't so much that. It was the realization that my time with you is going by in the blink of an eye & I haven't even gotten my fill of you. The house felt especially quiet that first day & I kept wondering how you were doing & hoped that you were having fun. When I went to pick you up, you immediately jumped up & said, "Mommy!!! I was so brave! I did it!" & you ran into my arms. As we walked hand in hand to the car you told me all about preschool & your excitement was bubbling over. I was so proud of you & was so happy that you liked it. You are awesome! But for the record, I'm not a fan of this growing up business.

 

I love you,

 

Mom

 

 



Little Things I Want to Remember

We went on a camping trip as a family to Big Lake & it was an absolute disaster from start to finish. We had a dead battery in the camper, Ruby threw up all night, Noah got a big goose egg on his head, & it rained almost the whole time we were there. I think it'll be a while before we attempt another trip like that again. You can't win them all, I guess. But it was SO beautiful!

 

 

 

I'm pretty obsessed with Noah's smile. He has this mouthful of big, white teeth & I just can't resist him when he flashes me one of his big smiles.  

 

Ruby is into the imaginary play stage & I feel like the luckiest girl getting to overhear her little pretend conversations. It's hilarious. And she loves to pretend that Noah is a baby shark & will scream & laugh as he crawls wildly after her.  

 

 Noah has started to become really interested in the piano & will crawl over throughout the day & plunk away at a few of the keys. I remember Ruby doing the same thing & I love seeing him do this & all the memories it brings back.

 



11 Months

 

 

 

 

Noah is 11 months old today. This boy is calm as can be if I'm holding him but the minute he's put down, he's into everything. And he does it all with his characteristic smile. He's become more & more of a mama's boy & will plant wet kisses on me all day long. He first word when he wakes up is "Mama" & he says it all day long as he crawls after me. I'll forever be grateful for Ruby because she is an excellent assistant mother. This boy needs 2 sets of eyes on him at all times & frequently throughout the day Ruby will yell, "Mom!!! Come quick!!!" Before Noah came along, I just had no idea how much fun little boys were. I love them, but mostly I love this one. He's a good one. Happy 11 months, sweet Noah!