37 weeks!!

There's the lid Ruth loved so much!

Sharing:)

Checking on the heifers!

Cleaning up after a messy dinner:)

Sweet potatoes and watermelon:)

Ruth loves teeth and tongues!
Future dentist??

Love the cheeks;)

One hand!

Week 36

Size: ??

New things:  Ruth has been doing a good job with giving kisses this week. Her kisses haven’t changed (so she really was giving them way back when), but she gives them more on command now then she did before. Ruth also gives kisses via technology. I showed her a picture of one of her friends on my phone and told her to give it a kiss, and she did! It was cuteJ.

Ruth is getting better at/showing more and more interesting in copying me. I’ll try to blow my lips a certain way, and then she’ll try to mimic me. Or I’ll try to make a sound, and she’ll try to mimic me. It’s so cute, so fun, and so cool! She’s tried to say “Yee-haw” like me or play with a slinky a certain way like me. Communication just keeps reaching a whole new level with each new week.

I think Ruth started showing the beginning signs of sharing this week. We’ll see if it continues…

Ruth discovered outlets this weekJ. Yay for plugs! It amazes me that little ones are so fascinated with outlets…I wonder if it’s mainly just because it’s at their eye level…maybe if they were at our eye level, they’d all love pictures on the wall?!?

Ruth pulled herself from sitting to standing for the 1^st time this week!! She used a chair. I was in the kitchen and was able to watch from a distance as she is much for willing to try things on her own like that if we leave her be. She only did it once, though.

Ruth is now using her thumb and pointer finger to pick up pieces of food! I didn’t realize it prior to having a child, but this is a developmental milestone. Who would have thought?!

Ruth is back to saying “dadadadadada” a lot! So much so, in fact, that I called Tom one morning this week because she wouldn’t stop saying it. I thought maybe if she could talk to him that it would satisfy her until he got home.

Ruth consistently signs “all finished” now; she seems like she’s really picked up the hang of this sign this week.

Ruth is getting closer and closer to crawling! Not there yet but definitely close!

Ruth stood 9-10 seconds on her own this week without holding on to anything! WOOHOO!

This week, when I needed to get her to take a bite of food (at times; not every time), I would say “Amber” (the name of our housemates’ dog), and she would take a bite!! It was helpfulJ!!

Ruth scoots around on her bottom and can do a 360! It’s super cute! She may have done this a little before, but I really noticed it this week, and now she can definitely go around the way around! She uses her feet to scoot herself.

I started using a chair as a walker for Ruth. She’d hold on to it, and I’d push the chair across the room, and she would walk. It’s way easier on my back, and she thinks it’s fun!

Fun things:   On the 4^th, Ruth and I delivered popsicles to Tom at work to share with everyone…it was a hot day…perfect for popsicles! Then we headed over to a parade in a nearby town. It was fun, and we got to sit with some friends. Tom got off early but got called back in for an emergency. Thankfully, he made it back in time for supper! We had our housemates over…grilled brats, homemade mac’n’cheese, baked beans, homemade fries, and they brought sweet corn and angel food cake. It was fun! Ruth and I had made “freedom placemats” to compliment our 4^th of July dinner (a new Cully tradition; you know we like traditions!). That night, Tom and I watched The Lone Survivor in honor of the 4^th. Wow! Powerful movie! It took me a good while to think through it all.

Ruth and I went with our housemate to a cheese plant/shop this week. She wanted to introduce us to it and to have us try their fresh cheese curds. Ruth had fun watching all the people make the cheese and made friends (through the viewing window) with one of the workers in particular who kept playing with her. Unfortunately, the cheese curds weren’t ready by the time we thought they would be, so we got some cheese whips instead (don’t worry…I had never heard of these either). YUM!!

Ruth and I went with some of our friends to a local coffee shop this week that I had never been to before. It was a nice place, and my drink was delicious! Ruth had fun playing with my friend’s daughter, and we both just enjoyed the company! We went back to their place and played for a bit.

Ruth loves: Her new yellow plastic ball that she got at the 4^th of July parade this week! She loves that little thing! I think it was this toy in particular that she enjoyed dropping behind the couch a couple of times. I’m pretty sure we ended that game after those few timesJ.

The knobs from the rails under our dining room chairs. I think she tries to get them off.

Anything we are drinking…milk, orange juice, water in our water bottles, etc. If we have it, she wants it and really enjoys it, too!

Playing outside…with grass and rocks and dirt and flowers and anything else she can get her hands on.

Eating with her fingers! Tom realized this week that Ruth wants to be doing something with her hands while she’s eating which is why she loves feeding herself. We usually give her plenty of finger foods on her tray, but we also still feed her “baby food”. If we just do “baby food” she gets more restless and may try to pull off her bib more or act a bit more fussy. If we give her things to eat with her fingers, though, she’s more focused and content. We have a little busy-body; go-getter!

Cheese curds and cheese whips. Ruth tried cheese curds and cheese whips for the first time this week…she loved them!! It was hard to feed her fast enough. She’s a true Wisconsin’er’!

Yeee-haw! Ruth LOVES when I say this and drawl out the yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! She’ll just smile and giggle. She also tries to mimic the sound herself with a high-pitched squeal. It’s so cute!

The suckers and cookies at our bank! I love our bank because not only do they have the “normal” bank treats (candy…usually suckers), but they have cookies and coffee every day for anyone! It’s awesome! Thankfully, we don’t go in there every weekJ, but when we do, it’s quite a treat for both of us. One time when we were in there, we gave Ruth a sucker to play with, and she must have punctured the wrapper because she was sucking on the thing like crazy. We soon realized she was getting some of the flavor out, and she quite liked it. She also enjoys getting bites of a cookie, too!

BEANS and HUMMUS! Ruth loves any kind of beans and hummus, especially baked beans and black beans!

Bluegrass music! We listened and danced to some bluegrass music this week, and she loved it!

Sleep: Still sleeping through the night! I am having trouble adjusting to not waking up. I thought I would instantly switch to feeling rested in the mornings and just enjoy a full night’s rest, but my body hasn’t made the change quite that easily…hopefully soon!!

Tom and I: We tried going to a new church this Sunday but couldn’t find itJ. It was a home church, and we drove up and down the road multiple times with no success. Maybe next week?

Tom went to a new community basketball group this week. One of his new colleagues plays basketball in a nearby town, so we headed that direction this week. The school it was held at had an outdoor track, so Ruth and I walked around while he played.

Tom got to ride around with our housemate as he helped harvest and haul hay for a local farmer this weekend. He had a great time, and Ruth enjoyed watching the truck and tractors go back and forth between the fields and the farm (both close by our place). They stopped for a bit, and Ruth got to go up in the truck with Tom. She had fun “driving”; Tom blew the horn a couple of times, and it made her jump, but she wasn’t scared of it.

Thank you, Lord, for: Our friends to share a holiday with and to hang out with it and explore the area!! They have been so wonderful! 

36 weeks!!

Happy 4th of July!

This is her new favorite ball!

Parade time!!
Had to take a picture of this...corn made out of milk jugs!

Ruth's "freedom placemat"!

One that I made...that's not turning the correct way!

4th of July pj's!
Tired little girl!

The chair knob...

Intent and focused!

:)

Cheese plant!

Having a great time!

That's her new friend:).

I found this outfit when I was going through Ruth's clothes after we moved. It's the next size up, but I put her in it anyway the day before the 4th just to get good holiday use out of it!! Her shorts kept falling down, but that's ok! 

Outside and playing with grass.

Week 35

Size: ??

New things:  Ruth is walking around the kitchen in her walker now, and she LOVES it! She runs into things and goes around and around in circles. It’s super fun to watch her. She squeals and talks and has all sorts of fun. She has a little cup holding on the tray of her walker, so frequently, I will put a snack in there for her to eat which she also really enjoys!

Ruth was able to stand for 7 seconds on her own this week! It doesn’t seem like that much time, but it did at the time…when you’re not use to seeing your little on stand like a grown-up, I guess seconds turn into minutes! Ha ha!

Ruth started making a “clacking/clucking” sound this week using her tongue. She did this one completely on her own. If you repeat it to her, she’ll do it again! It’s fun!

Ruth started making a “grateful to be eating noise” (moan or groan, kind of) this week when nursing. Not sure where it came from?! Maybe it’s a comfort thing?!

I made a note about “smacking” this week, and I think that also refers to nursing. Ruth started making her smacking noise when nursing. Ha!

It’s fun to watch Ruth try to get things on the floor when she’s standing holding on to someone or something. She’s working on balancing while squatting and does a pretty good job depending on how sturdy the object she is holding onto is.

Ruth now wants to walk between Tom and I all the time now (thanks to my mom and sisterJ). She loves walking and still things she’s hot stuff!

It’s also fun to watch Ruth try “brave” things when it comes to standing/walking…letting go of our hands or what she’s holding onto, going fast, turning around, reaching out/down, etc. It’s just fun to see her innocence and trusting spirit in the whole matter. She’s still having fun with standing/walking!

Ruth is getting closer and closer to crawling. She’s not quite there, but every week she makes progress. It could be any day now! Ah!

I’ve taught Ruth how to “whistle” and “pat” for the dog. We’ll go outside to look for her or will try to call her back if she’s run off to play, and Ruth will do her “whistle” or “pat, pat, pat” to call her. It’s so cute!

Fun things:  One day this week, Ruth and I went with some of our friends to McDonald’s for lunch and then strawberry picking! Ruth got to play on the playground with her friend (her first time at a restaurant). We picked lots of strawberries! I was able to make 5 pies (the baked kind) with them. I also used some for oatmeal and French toast. It took me a while to get through all of the berries, but I did it and am grateful our freezer has ready-to-go desserts to share with friends!

On Saturday of this week, Tom, Ruth, and I went to our county’s historical museum as they were having a steam engine exhibit. In addition to checking out the steam engines, we also check out the museum (it’s actually really cool!), and got some homemade ice cream (gotta support the dairy industry!). It was fun, and Ruth enjoyed watching the engines, too (again, Ruth and Tom have a lot in commonJ).

On Sunday of this week, we went to something called “Sundae on a Farm”; it was at a local dairy farm, so of course we had to go! We walked around and looked at machinery/fire trucks. We took a wagon tour through a barn. We got sundaes, cheese, and milk and ate our snacks while we listened to bluegrass music. We walked around a tent that had different organizations/businesses represented and also met a couple of local veterinarians (good networking opportunityJ). It was a fun afternoon!

We go on walks with our housemate and the dog. Ruth rather enjoys these walks as she watches the dog most of the time (if not all) and also sometimes gets to see her heifers up closer. We enjoy walking with them and getting to chat along the way!

Ruth and I checked out a new library this week and visited a park that was near it. Ruth enjoyed the little metal animal “back and forth things” at the park. I have no clue what those are called (refer to the pictures below). She especially liked the duck, it seemed. I pushed her in a baby swing and swung with her on a big kid swing, but she really wasn’t in to either one of them.

Ruth loves: Bluegrass music! I was helping her to dance to it and pat her knee, and she was having all sorts of fun! She danced to it on her own, too. She especially loved the “Yee-haw” part! 

Her pacifier! Ha! Not in the normal way, though. This week, we had to take a short road trip to a bigger city for the DMV, etc. On the way back, Ruth had gotten herself all worked up. I tried all sorts of things and found her pacifiers (that she hasn’t used in a LOOONG time) in her diaper bag, so I gave her one. She found it very entertaining and didn’t really cry the rest of the way home. She would awkwardly suck on it for a just a few seconds if I put it in her mouth and then grab it and play with it or chew on it in different ways. Yay for a new “toy”!?

Standing up in her big girl crib (which she is not using yet) and looking out at her heifers! The crib is perfect for her to practice holding, standing, falling, moving, pulling up, etc., and she SO enjoys looking out the window at the heifers or at vehicles or tractors!

Since we have been in the process of switching everything over to our new state, new job, etc., we now have old/void plastic cards that have been quite the source of entertainment for Ruth! She enjoys playing with them and trying to eat them, and the good part…she can’t!

Watching our landlord mow…J. So much so, in fact, that I put her in her highchair in front of the window so that she could watch him for a while. She was entertained until he was finished. It was quite funny and helpfulJ. I got some dishes done. She clapped and squealed. If it has a motor, and it moves, Ruth’s your girl!

This one goes way back to week 30, but Ruth still loves it…when we met up with family in D.C., one of the little kids there gave Ruth a kids meal toy car. Ruth LOVES the car (see the picture below where she is reaching for something). I don’t really let her play with it, though, since it’s not really fit for a little one who puts everything in her mouth. But she still LOVES it (hint: the effort put into reaching for it).

Sleep: Ruth is now sleeping through the night! Woohoo! She seems pretty good with about 10 hours or so. We started on Friday night, and that was the only night she had to really cry it out. I think her little body was ready for a good night’s sleep too! Wake up time seems to have been moved to a bit earlier now that she’s sleeping all the way through…but that’s ok! After a good night’s rest, I’m ok getting up earlier!

We’ve learned that letting Ruth fall asleep in the car for naps (when we are almost home) is not a good idea. She has been waking up once we get home and then won’t go back to sleep (she’s never been one to fall back asleep during nap time if she’s woken up). So the goal is if we’re pushing nap time and on the road, to keep her awake until we get home (which is much easier if we are both in the car; I can hop in the back with her but not so easy when I’m by myself). Missed or messed-up, rather, naps affect the entire rest of the day.

Tom and I: We finished up getting vehicles registered and new licenses this week. I was also able to officially change my documents to Cully this week! Woohoo! That’s what the celebration pictures are forJ (note the Cully sign in the background…ha!).

We tried out a new church this week.

Tom’s been playing basketball at our local high school two nights a week! They have pick-up games for the community a couple times a week, and he loves basketball! It’s a good way to meet new people, get some exercise, and do something he enjoys. Ruth and I usually tag along (it gives us some extra time in the van together) and walk while he plays. I think it was last week, while we were walking the HS marching band was outside practicing. Ruth and I stopped to watch them. She was very interested, a little perplexed, and quite entertained. It was fun to be able to show her that…I’m grateful for new experiences!

Thank you, Lord, for: The progress made with transferring everything over to a new state/job. It feels so good every time we get something else done. It’s not an easy process, and there always seems to be catches or things they didn’t tell you or things you didn’t read, etc. One of our housemates drove me to get some of these things done, too, which was such a blessing! We are so grateful for our housemates!

8 months!!

Our focused/detail-oriented little girl:)

What is this?

and this?

One headband was enough for the day:)!

Fuzzies:)

Love the cheeks!

Mission accomplished;)