Dear Ruby

Roo Barb.

(Uncle Eric added another nickname to the ever-expanding list of yours)

You are now officially mobile! Our life is about to become a little bit more complicated as you figure out just how much freedom you have. If you see something you want, there's nothing stopping you from inch worm-ing your way to get it. Your big incentives seem to be the dogs and any shoes on the floor. A girl after my own heart!

You do many things to elicit reactions out of others. The other day as we were running errands and waiting in line to pay, you noticed a lady behind us that was completely oblivious. You used your fake cough to grab her attention and boy, were you proud of yourself! You laugh when others laugh, as well, which is quite funny. Aside from really obnoxious silly things coming from the mouth of your momma and daddy, you find your dogs and your Ama the funniest.

You have learned to pinch/scratch and bite. These are two milestones that I don't find overly cute, but I know you don't know any better. The biting, I would assume, goes hand in hand with this phantom teething. I have wondered if you were teething for months now and you're still gummin' it.

And because we're talking about the whole mouth situation, I'll tell you that you don't love to eat solids pureed foods. I'm not sure where we got you from, since your Daddy and I both love food more than we probably should, but you are having a difficult time with the textures, I think. You come by this naturally, as both your Momma and your Grandma have these issues. We're trying to be patient on that front, because I don't want a picky eater, but thus far we have found nothing that you like to eat. You psych yourself out and end up gagging and sometimes throwing up if I push it on you, so we're trying not to.

You now wave, although your muscle control is a little...well, not controlled. But we can usually get you to do it at the appropriate time. You are quite ticklish-mostly right above your knees. Daddy says it's entirely too early for you to be that boy crazy. You mastered the sitting up thing shortly after your half-year birthday, but you're still wobbly at times. If you lose focus on what you're doing, you topple over, so I never leave you sitting by yourself for fear of a cracked noggin.

Some of my favorite times with you are nap times or as you drift off to sleep at night. You lose the battle every time if I gently stroke your forehead with the very tip of my finger. I like to run my finger up your nose, over your eyebrow, and across your perfectly flawless skin. Your long eyeslashes blink a little more and your eyelids are a little more heavy with every stroke. I can smell your sweet baby breath as your own chubby little fingers grab onto me. I know this is something that won't last forever-I love just soaking up these moments as they last, though!

You met your cousin Dezi in May, and something about him seemed to bring out another little bit of personality. You were quite the performer for him-we have seen a little bit more of your (what seems to be chatty, outgoing) personality each and every day-I can only hope that your genuine laugh and pleasure at small things stays with you for the rest of your life-you are so bright and rarely sad or upset.

When I think of the amount of love I have for you and see your daddy loving you just as much, my heart feels so heavy with pride. You are already an amazing person-the light of our lives and the center of our universe. I love you more than you could ever imagine, sweet girl!

XOXO,

Momma