Dear Ruby

Hello Cupcake,

Eleven Months!! One month from today you will be turning an entire year old and from there, it will become a little more weird with each passing month for me to tell your age in months. Sad! Thanks to your Ama, you know how to hold up one finger when asked how old you'll be on your birthday.

I am a little concerned about your fascination with strangers. You love to people watch and several people who have come to talk to me (and I actually know, but you do not), you have practically leaped out of my arms and into theirs. We'll have to have a little talk about stranger dangers here soon.

You have learned how to give high fives and shake your head no quite dramatically. So far, you refuse to learn how to say or nod yes which scares me just a little bit. You also will point at things and people. When asked for a kiss, you can't be bothered sometimes to actually give a kiss, but you will definitely say Mwah! which is pretty cute too. I have to say that I love the actual kisses and hugs better than the word version because you are too busy.

If you discover that you don't have someone's undivided attention, you will bend in half to ensure they can see your precious little face. You get so tickled when someone does the same thing back to you. You love to imitate the actions and noises of others, which is especially fun. You have picked up things that I didn't deliberately teach you (how to gently pat other babies, brushing your hair, how to wipe your mouth with a cloth). You enjoy washing your hands at the sink, and you picked up on the phrase rub your hands together after just a couple of times. I never knew how much I missed sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming until I had a lint detective crawling around.

You had the sixth tooth-fourth one on the bottom-break through last week and I can see two more on the top (they aren't through yet). You tried sliced turkey, tortillas, tomatoes, baby yogurt, and baby banana cookies this month. You liked them all but the tomato, and I know your likes for food are slowly but surely expanding.

You become more mobile by the minute. Crawling has transformed into some weird maneuver where you keep one leg tucked underneath you and propel yourself along with the other one. It's much quicker than crawling on all fours. You can pull up like a pro. And now you can sit back down too. I think we still have awhile before you are completely mobile and off and running as you seem to be okay with crawling. Once you discover how easy it will be to get into everything walking, there will be no turning back. So we aren't pushing that.

You have started sharing quite recently but you don't quite understand that giving what you have to someone else will mean that you don't have it anymore. And so, you expect the recipient of your sharing (usually a toy) to return the item promptly. You also find it quite funny to shove things into the mouths of others. Most recently, you tried to make Kirby eat a clothespin (which he did open his mouth, likely so you'd stop poking him) and your momma eat the camera lens.

Peekaboo is another favorite and is easily started. You will put anything in front of your face until we ask where Ruby is. You find this game so funny! You especially love for me to chase you. As soon as you hear my footsteps, you squeal with delight and burst into fits of giggles until we make one big heap of laughter on the floor.

Thirty-one days from now will make it an entire year that you graced our lives with your beautiful soul. Made my days shine and made my smile bigger. I can hardly believe that time has gone this fast, and yet I feel like you have been in my heart forever. I love you more with each passing day which is something I would have told you was impossible. I love you so much, sweet girl.

XOXO,

Momma