Ruth at one and a half

Ok, so, she won't actually be one and a half for another five days, but I am thinking about it now, and I know next week I will forget.

Ruth is so much fun these days. She loves to snuggle still, and considering the other kids don't as much anymore, we soak it up every chance we get. She is also a complete clown, loves to spin in circles, try to stand on her head, and just run around laughing. She also has started to love to play "I see you" with Naomi, where they chase each other through the house, hide, pop out at each other, and laugh incessantly.

She still puts EVERYTHING in her mouth, and it is becoming more and more obvious that there are a lot of times she does it on purpose because she knows we don't want her to. She kicked the wall through the bars of her crib every time she's in there, and has started kicking pretty hard.

She is talking a ton, really, there is not much she won't repeat, and her spontaneous vocabulary is very large. She has a couple words that are her own, like "me-me" for drink. She will point at pictures of babies and say "baby", and the other day made a possessive statement for the first time-"my baby!". She loves to drive cars, hug babies, and, most of all, play with balls. "Ball" is her favorite word. She also can say her siblings names, but, just like Naomi, refuses to say Tobiah, she calls him Bubu.

She is also big on non-verbal communication, including a couple signs, lots of pointing, waving, and the like. Considering Naomi's non-verbal communication is still basically non existent, this truly is a relief.

Ruth adores her siblings, and obviously loves Rich and I, but, rather frustratingly, she kind of hates everybody else. She has extreme separation anxiety, won't let me leave her in the nursery without going into hysteria, and flips out every time my mom comes over. Having her go from contently playing to clinging to me just because Grandma walked in the door gets old pretty fast.

She also is starting to follow directions. A couple of times she has taken things out of her mouth when told, she will run to the door when told it is time to go, and twice today ran into the playroom to happily play after I asked "go in the playroom please".

Over all, Ruth is an amazing one and a half year old, and I love her more and more every day. Who couldn't love this kid?

Chocolate ice cream!

The peach she stole from my box when I wasn't looking.

My Monkey.

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Ruth and her best friend.

Count down

4 days until: I hear Baby's heart beat again (and have to go to the dentist :/ )
6 days until: Tobiah's party
7 days until: I have a four year old again (cry)
13 days until: The first day of Fall!
16 days until: I loose my mind with two well child checks and a weight check on Nae
27 days until: Our annual pumpkin patch trip
52 days until: Trick or Treating
74 days until: Thanksgiving
83 days until: I have an eight year old (crazy!)
86 days until: Rich's birthday... yes, I HAVE to acknowledge it is that first... although this year all it is to me is my due date. :)

For Naomi

My sweet, silly little Naomi. You are my joy. You live up to your name every day of your life, and not a single day goes by that I do not thank God that He intrusted you to me. You can fill a room with joy and laughter like no other, and your sweet nature is so endearing.

I could write for hours all the things you do that bring a smile to my face. Everything from your inability to keep clothes on, which on more than one occasion has made me laugh when I suddenly see a naked bum running through the yard to the way you try and console Ruth when she cries, telling her "it's OK" in your sweet little voice.

Naomi, my heart breaks for you. You are such a special girl, one so full of life and love, and one that struggles so hard in such basic ways. I pray day and night that the Lord will make me wise in how to be a mother to you, how to help you grow into the women He has created you to be, because I am daily at a loss. I want to fix everything, make it all better, and break through your shell and show you the world.

God is faithful Naomi, He is there with us on the mountain tops, when we have moments of clarity and when He allows me to see how clever you truly are. He is there with us in the valleys, when fear still grips you, when you can't express yourself, and when your emotions get the best of you. He has brought our family so far in two and a half years, taught us all so much, and allowed so much progress already, and has given plenty of hope that things will be OK.

My joy, my Naomi. God has blessed me in allowing me to be your Mommy, and no matter what life brings, you will always be my little girl, and I will always love you.