A Birthday for Ruby

Today Ruby turned 2! She woke me this morning as she stood beside my bed & said, "Birthday! Birthday!" We spent the day celebrating & had so much fun. She was sweet & silly & animated & had some very "2" moments. I snuck into her room after she fell asleep & as I watched her sleep I said a prayer of thanks that she's mine.

All accessories done by Ruby ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And per our birthday tradition here are some things that I want her to remember:

1. You are so, so loved. No matter what you do, your dad & I will always love you.
2. Get out & see the world. If you have the chance, take it. Travel is good for the soul.
3. Read, read, read. Especially the classics.    

4. Be a peacemaker. If in doubt, always be kinder than you feel.

5. Not all that glitters is gold.



Alive

There are lots of days as a mom where time moves slowly & the days seem monotonous & the work rather tedious. But in the midst of it all I often feel a sense of panic as I grasp just how quickly these days are passing right before my eyes. And I ask myself, "Are you taking it all in? Are you living in the moment? Are you really seeing things as they are?" Because I think when all is said & done, these will be times in my life that I'll remember as some of the very best days. I feel like raising & nurturing a little human being has brought an awareness to me that I've never had before. I feel like I see the little details, experience the weather, & really understand the excitement of this world that is all around me. And therein lies the beauty of motherhood. It asks so much of you but in return you're given a new set of eyes to see this world through.

 

 

And seriously, when did my baby grow up?!

 



 



On Gratitude

Ruby's birth parents Jeremy & Cassie came down from Utah this weekend to visit. We spent the day with them on Saturday & had a great time. It's been almost 2 years since placement & I can't believe all that's happened in that time. Spending time with them this weekend & seeing them love Ruby made me really happy. Happy that we all have a healthy relationship that I'm really proud of & happy that Ruby has them in her life. When Tyler & I first began the adoption process I was positive that we would have relatively closed adoptions. Openness scared me to death & made me feel insecure about my role as a mother. I never would've believed that my opinion would have changed so completely. When I tell people about it I see their eyes slightly widen & get the, "Oh, that's nice..." response. And I totally understand because I would have said the exact same thing. It took some time for me to navigate this whole adoption thing & how it works with openness & what's best for my family. And I think each adoption will be that way to a certain extent. But as I looked at Jeremy & Cassie this weekend I couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for them. I love those two with my whole heart & I love seeing them so happy. They've been so, so good to us.

They got married this summer in the Salt Lake Temple & are so happy. Ruby has been such a miracle baby for all of us & both of them have told me that they still know that placing Ruby with us was the best decision. If I've learned anything from all of this it's that life often doesn't go as planned & sometimes that's a really good thing. I think we're all really grateful for this unplanned part of our lives that has taught us a better way to love.

 



We're Ready!

We finished the nursery & are feeling ready for the baby to come! It took Ruby several weeks to work up the courage to ride on his rocking horse. That girl is nothing if not cautious. I can relate to her on so many levels. I had a small baby shower with family & got the most adorable baby boy gifts. All this boy stuff is just so much fun. It's such a contrast from all the girl stuff our home has been filled with the past 2 years & I feel like we're getting the best of both worlds. I'm so excited to see Ruby as a big sister & have a brand new baby in our home. I feel like it's exactly what all of us need.



Ruby's Happy Place

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Because sometimes you just need cake at 10am

I was reading a book to Ruby yesterday about birthdays & after we finished she sat on my lap looking up at me while we talked all about her upcoming birthday. We talked about the presents she wanted & about the cake I would make her. She requested blue frosting. And suddenly she stood up & started bawling. I was shocked & asked her what was wrong to which she replied, "Caaaake!!!" I realized that when we were talking about her birthday cake she thought I had cake right then & there for her. It was a very dramatic misunderstanding which I'm finding is a somewhat common occurrence with a toddler. She was heartbroken over it & so we went & made cupcakes with blue frosting & ate them for brunch. I think it's safe to say I won't be talking about her birthday cake with her again.

 

 

 

 

Little Things I Want to Remember

Life has been so busy lately. I feel like my mind is constantly swirling with thoughts of this new baby & all the things I need to do to get Ruby ready. We moved Ruby into her "big girl" bed & it has gone surprisingly well. I almost cried when I saw her lying in her bed instead of a crib. Every morning Ruby wakes up & walks into our room with a book in hand. "Hi Mommy, read?" It's adorable & it'd be even more adorable if this wasn't happening at 5am. What I wouldn't give to be able to sleep in till 7! After I send her back to bed I'm lucky if she'll stay in her room till after 6. She's suddenly so grown up & I'd be lying if I said it hasn't broken my heart.

 

Ruby literally wants to read books from sunup until sundown. Sometimes when I'm really tired I read them with my eyes closed because I pretty much have them memorized.

 

I love this age of learning & seeing her soak up everything around her. She imitates everything I do which keeps me really honest. Today as we were walking up the stairs she suddenly sat down and folded her arms & said, "Prayer". So we sat down & prayed until she seemed satisfied & then we walked the rest of the way upstairs. Nothing fulfills me like teaching her about the things that matter most.

I've decided to take away her pacifier starting tomorrow. Pray for me!

 

Everything I do Ruby wants to "help" with. She loves to help me clean & cook & although it adds way more time to whatever I'm trying to do, I kind of hope this stage lasts for a really long time.