Toddler-hood

I haven't written in a while but I wanted to take the opportunity to describe the person Ruby is developing into. She's such a marvelous child so I thought I'd let you all in on some of the things she is all about these days.

First and foremost Ruby LOVES books...no is OBSESSED with books. It's completely clear that she is the granddaughter of a librarian ;) She would be perfectly happy if all we did together was read. And that is not an exaggeration! She even goes to sleep cuddling her books! She is able to pick out most letters now, and I swear she is starting to recognize her name. What a smarty! We always joke that she is going to learn to read before she learns to talk.

Reading


More reading

And of course she's got to have a book in the car :)

Other loves in Ruby's life: trees and all plants and flowers. Whenever we go outside she squeaks and points to every tree. She hugs them, pets them, and tries to kiss them. It's delightful. She also smells every. single. plant. Note that I say plant and not flower, she does not make too much of a distinction :)

Loving the trees

She has been wanted to play outside a lot lately...even this crazy weather hasn't made her wary of the outdoors. She is more than willing to walk on grass now, and seems to love her ability to explore the world on two feet. She has been really into the slides and climbing aspect of the playground. Swings...not so much.

Playground fun

Ruby is strong willed. She knows what she wants and will not be swayed from her chosen path. I LOVE that about her! She is just like Dan and I and although there are problems that arise from that type of personality, it is also the personality of a survivor. Ruby is most certainly a survivor. And it's great to see that she has an opinion about things, and that she's not afraid to express it. Believe me, despite her lack of language she expresses it VERY clearly. She is a very expressive child, although this can be hard for strangers to see because she is quite wary of them.

Ruby is also very sensitive. She gets frustrated quickly when learning something new. She is shy around strange adults, but warms instantly to new children. She is at peace with her family and her home. But she is very willing to explore new places...as long as strange adults who want to interact with her don't come with them. She does not like loud noises, especially sudden loud noises.

Ruby does love music though. One of my favorite things is to catch her jamming in the backseat while Pandora is blasting. She dances all the time. And very often can keep a beat with her hands, feet, or head. She is definitely going to be an Irish dancer :) We love to dance around the house together and she always claps after a song is done...even if there is no clapping on the track.

Action shot! Totally an Irish dancer :)

She is signing a few words. Her favorite one is "bird." She signs this not only for birds, but for planes in the sky, flies, and butterflies as well :) She also uses the sign "fish" when she sees the moon. I have no idea why, but it's pretty cute. The other day Dan and I were out walking with her in the evening and it was like she noticed the moon for the first time. She couldn't take her eyes off of it! She was absolutely mesmerized. Now every time we go out at night she looks for her friend the moon and stares lovingly at it.

Anyway...there's clearly so much more to my little girlie but that's a taste. She is such a miracle. I am loving every day she grows. Toddler-hood is a wonderful phase of life, and I am so grateful to be able to experience it with her.