Ruby at 8 Months

Hey All,

So, today Ruby turned 8 months. I really don't know how that is possible! My sister in law just had an adorable little girl and when I held her I couldn't believe that Ruby was once that small. I'm sure that feeling never goes away when you see or hold a baby younger than yours. Ruby continues to bring Ben and I so much joy. I thank God every day that he allowed Ben and I to be parents. It is definitely the hardest thing I have done to date, but also the most rewarding thing I've done. There are definitely days that are harder than others and I often find that on those days, I try and do it on my own. I don't even acknowledge God. Yikes! The first thing I do every morning is read my bible. (I'm reading the bible in a year currently.) I start the day off in the word and in prayer. Then...well, then Ruby wakes up and the day gets going. It is my prayer to remember to choose God throughout the whole day. I can't do it on my own.

Ruby has been SUPER busy. She is crawling all over the place. She has started pulling herself up on things. She has an exersaucer that she has started climbing onto the bottom portion of. Her favorite hang out spot is our entry way. I've had to start putting up all the shoes and sweeping on a daily basis in there. She loves getting her hands on paper when I'm not looking. She knows when she is doing something that she shouldn't be. For example, she starts crawling towards Moose or shoes and is all I have to say is, "What do you think you're doing?" She immediately starts booking it until I run and grab her. She has this big smile on her face the whole time. Right now I think it is adorable. I'm not sure I will always think that. ;) She has been eating pureed food twice a day. Not a whole lot at a time, but some. Ruby reminds me so much of her dad it isn't even funny. She looks like him and a lot of the things she does is just like him. She is one determined and curious little girl. She is always discovering the world around her and always figuring things out. She will watch you do something and then try and copy you.

Last week we were driving and I looked back and saw that she was tugging at her ears. UH oh! I knew I needed to take her in and get her checked out. A part of me was relieved when I found out she had an ear infection because she has been sleeping so horribly. Ah hah! The culprit to bad sleeping was an ear infection. Oh, but just kidding. She's been on antibiotics for about a week now, so her ears should be better and she is STILL sleeping horribly. Booooo! A couple of nights ago she went 5 hours and it was wonderful. Last night, she woke up every two hours. Not cool Ruby, not cool! I know what I'm doing is probably wrong. I do go in and I nurse her back to sleep. Here is the thing though people. When I nurse her back to sleep it takes a total of maybe 10 minutes. When I go in and rub her back and assure her I'm there she usually screams louder and an hour later she is still not back asleep and I end up nursing her anyway. I keep making excuses like maybe she is getting another tooth and that is why she keeps waking up. I don't know what to do. What I do know, is that she is super happy during the day. We have to get her ears re-checked on Friday, so maybe I will see what the doc says. I was telling Ben that I honestly don't know how I could teach Kindergarten and have a little girl who wakes up every two hours at night. So, Lauren...if you're reading this. I give you all the kudos in the world. You are such a great Mommy and teacher!

Ruby is 8 months, smiles all the time, has two bottom teeth, is extremely ambitious, and loves life. We love our little girl!

She loves reading! 

Ruby Lately

Hey Everyone,

It's been awhile since I've blogged. Maybe it is because Ruby has been busy crawling and getting into everything she shouldn't be. She has a plethora of toys, yet she goes for outlet covers, the rug with all our shoes, and best of all...she goes after Moose. I'm thinking this is only the start. Am I right, Mamas? She has also cut two bottom teeth. Let me tell you, that was not fun. She was fussy almost all of the time. She wanted to be held all the time. Now, most of the time I don't mind holding her, but she is getting heavy AND she always wants to face out. I wish sometimes she could be that sweet cuddly melt into you cuddly. Oh well, I can't complain. I think she is so curious about the world around her and she has a serious case of FOMO. (Fear of missing out.)

Over Labor Day weekend our family took off to Big Stone Lake and went camping in the RV. We met up with my mom, Sarah, and Liam. We took a nice swim. Ruby LOVES the water. She splashes away and always ends up drinking some of the water. Yuck! Ben, Ruby, and I stayed in the RV that night. Ruby's pack n play fit nicely and Ben and I were able to sleep on the bed. Ruby slept better than she has EVER slept. Mama, not so much. I woke up around 3 wondering if Ruby was ok. I never got out of bed, but I basically stayed awake until she woke up around 5:30 to feed. We spent the rest of the weekend in Watertown.

Now, on the topic of sleep. Maybe some of you Mama's can help me out. Ruby's sleep schedule is SO inconsistent. During the day is just fine. She usually takes a nap about every 3 hours. At night however, ought. Sometimes she will sleep for 11 straight hours. Ok, she did that once. But sometimes she will sleep for nice long stretches. Other nights she wakes up 2-3 times a night. What gives? Here is what her typical schedule looks like. She usually goes to bed around 6:00. (Maybe that is too early, but that is when she appears to be tired.) On a bad night of sleeping she will usually wake up around 11:30, 4:30, and then up for the day around 7:30. Lately I have been going in and feeding her when she wakes up. Even though, I know she isn't waking out of hunger. I think she is comfort nursing to fall back asleep. Last night I sent Ben in at 4:30 and he held her and rubbed her back and she went back to sleep. Hurray! I think I'm going to stop feeding her in the middle of the night and see if that helps anything. I also know she is capable of falling asleep without nursing. When I lay her down for naps during the day, I always lay her down awake. When we put her to bed at night I will feed her in the living room, we will go read some books, and we lay her down awake. She also sleeps for about 12-14 hours total each night. I'm definitely NOT a fan of the crying it out method. I know this has worked for many, but I can't do it. I do let Ruby cry for about 10 minutes before going in. I guess, for you seasoned mothers out there. Any tips? Is this normal for a 7 month old? I read in a lot of places that they should be able to sleep through the night.

I haven't been able to go to many MOMS club events lately because they are usually scheduled in the morning when Ruby is sleeping. Big time bummer, but when we can go, we do. It does get kind of lonely during the day without Ben home. We try to get out on as many walks as we can or just sit outside and enjoy the nice weather while we can. Anyway, that's all I have for now. I hope all is well with all of you!

My brown eyed girl. If you look close enough you can see those two teeth on the bottom. 

Duluth!

Hey Everyone,

Ben, Ruby, and I just got back from a great trip to Duluth. I have so much to say, but don't know where to start. Sorry if I'm a bit all over the place. Ben and his brothers are obsessed with looking for (agate) rocks. I'm not the biggest fan, but I go along with his passion and somewhat (haha) support this obsession. The real reason why we went to Duluth was to get some sort of rock buffer? I don't know. Ben was originally going to go up himself and pick it up and just come back until we decided to make a little trip out of it. I'm SO happy that we did. It was been way too long that Ben (and Ruby and I have spent quality time together outside of our home. In fact, I think it is the first time we have done anything like this. We have of course gotten out, but it almost always includes our families or friends. This was just the best and just what I needed.

We woke up early on Thursday and took off. Ruby still isn't the best about riding in the car. She did pretty good on the way up however. The thing with Ruby is she is almost like clockwork. She eats every three hours and sleeps every three hours. Her schedule goes something like this....Eat at 1:00, be up for about an hour and then nap at around 2:00 for about half an hour to an hour and then be up until she eats again. Ruby sleeps the best in her crib. When we know she is tired we can lay her down awake and she will fall asleep. It's beautiful. When we were out and about or in the car it is almost always a disaster. She will put up a really good fight before going down. We got to Duluth and went to check into our hotel. Our hotel was Canal Street Lodge or something like that. It is a beautiful hotel that is right on Lake Superior. In the morning they brew Caribou coffee. How could you not be impressed? Anyway, Ruby and I took a nap and when she woke up we got ready to go swimming. We mostly went swimming so I could see Ruby in her ADORABLE swimsuit. (Thank you Carley's if you're reading this!) Ruby loved the water. She was splashing around like a maniac and trying to drink some in the meantime. Yuck! After we were done swimming, we got cleaned up and went out for dinner. It was super hot outside, but it was still fun to walk to the restaurant. After dinner we walked along the boardwalk. It was so exciting that Ruby fell asleep! :) Please don't call CPS on us, but we put Ruby's pack and play in the bathroom where it was super dark and away from where we were sleeping and the TV. Let me tell you people....she slept from 7:30 P.M. until 6:45 in the morning. It was AMAZING! The funny thing was that at home Ben NEVER hears Ruby wake up. However, in the hotel he said he went and checked on her several times because she wasn't making a peep. I didn't wake up at all either. It was wonderful!

We had a good night's rest, ate breakfast, and went for another walk. We also dipped Ruby's toes into Lake Superior. It was COLD, but she didn't mind too much. It's kind of funny, the majority of the pictures we took, it looks like Ruby was not too happy. I assure you though she was very happy! I think one of the best parts of the trip for me was turning my phone off. I didn't get on Facebook, I didn't check my email. Well, I lied....I did get on my phone to read my devotional, but that was it! It was so nice to disconnect and pay close attention to my husband and daughter. If you haven't done this in awhile, I highly recommend it. I think I might try to do this once a week. Pick a day and turn it off. We drove up the north shore a little ways, ate some lunch, and headed back home. It was a great trip and SO so good for the soul.

Walking on the boardwalk.

I love my little family!

She is such a happy girl!

First dip in Lake Superior.

Our little fish. 

This is the only time in her life that she will be able to sit like this. :)

6 Months Y'all!

That is half a year, folks! Ruby is half way to her first birthday. Can someone please slow down time? I say this, but I have been trying really hard to be present with Ruby. I know that our future kids won't get the amount of one on one time I get with Ruby. I try not to think or wish for her to be older and I try not to wish she was itty bitty again. Ben and I are so in love with our little girl. Even in this season of grief, she keeps me so happy and puts life into perspective. She doesn't know yet the amount of joy she brings me. Not to say that being her momma has been a cake walk. It hasn't. When I think I truly understand her, her eating habits, her sleeping habits...it changes. She changes. Here are some facts about Ruby:

1. She has gone back to her gremlin/grunting ways. It is a little creepy, but a whole lot adorable.

2. She has not been sleeping as well. Last night she woke up at 12:00, 2:00, 6:00, and then up at 8:00. I would love it if she slept through the night, but I also don't mind getting up with her.

3. Nobody told me how demanding nursing would be. It's SO convenient, but it is also all on me. Nursing Ruby at any time is still my favorite though.

4. She is trying SO hard to crawl. It makes her pretty mad actually. She will get up on her hands and feet. (She can plank with the best of them.) She will rock back and forth and then kind of belly flop the floor. You'll get it soon, baby girl! I actually think that part of her sleeping issues stems from this. I think she is practicing when she wakes up at night and then gets mad. I often come into her room finding her in the plank position. #determined

5. She hasn't had stranger danger as much lately, which makes her Grandparents happy! :)

6. She has a hemangioma on the top of her head. I had this same thing on my forehead until I was about 4. Hers is in a much better location. Last night I had a dream that they kept popping up all over her body. Yikes!

7. She is sitting up and can sit unassisted until she reaches for a toy.

8. She still loves taking baths!

9. She is getting a little better about her carseat. I've realized that timing is everything! It is best if I feed her and then wait for about 10 minutes.

10. She only sleeps well for naps if she is in her crib OR if we are in the car for a long time. The second the car stops she wakes up and she usually won't go back to sleep.

11. Her favorite toy is Sophie the giraffe.

12. No teeth yet, although she puts EVERYTHING she can get her hands on in her mouth.

Well, there you have it. Ruby is quite lovable and has rolls on her thighs that make you swoon. We are having so much fun with her!

                           A rare smile from her carseat.                                      Typical reaction to her carseat.

On this day she was up until about 10:30. Getting kisses from Daddy!

No food yet, but she loves her highchair. 

                                                               All day every day.

2015 = Best/Worst Year Ever

Hey All,

I haven't blogged in awhile. Apologies. 2015 has been the best and worst year of my life. It has been the best because we had Ruby January 29th. She has been the biggest blessing of our lives so far. She brings us such joy. Her smiles, giggles, and even cries signifies LIFE. I will share more about Ruby in a moment. 2015 has also been the worst year because we lost my dad. It still doesn't feel real to me. I still feel like my dad is going to come walking through the house and be 100% healthy. I miss him, but I'm SO thankful that I was able to have good and important conversations with him before he died. I was able to tell him how much I loved him. I was able to share some of my favorite memories with him. He was able to do the same. He shared with me how he wasn't afraid of death. Not everyone gets the chance to have those conversations with people before they pass away. I'm thankful that my dad knew the Lord and that he will spend eternity in heaven. All that said, it doesn't mean that I don't miss him, or that it makes it any easier. I have good moments of remembering him and I have moments where I'm a sobbing mess. I spent some time today listening to old voicemails from my dad. Cue the sobbing mess. ;) I have also spent time just going over fun memories and just smiling. In the end folks, God is still so good. I'm thankful that I can rely and find comfort in Him. I have to say the amount of support that my family has received over the last three months but even more the last couple of weeks has been incredible. People that we haven't seen in ages stopped over and brought food and goodies. It is evident that my dad was truly loved by everyone he came in contact with.

Now, about Ruby. She is such a chunk. She is rolling from point A to point B. She is on the verge of crawling and quite possibly getting some teeth. She has a case of stranger danger, but if you ease your way in, she will be happy to give you smiles instead of cries. She also went through this hilarious phase of grunting. She wouldn't really coo, she would just grunt. When we would go get her in the morning, instead of smiling first she would grunt first. It was almost like a gremlin. Sadly, that has passed, but thankfully she has started talking a lot more. Sometimes it is hard to get a word in. Typical girl. ;) We have spent the last 2 weeks in Watertown, so all sleeping habits that she had before kind of went out the window. Some nights she was in bed by 6 and some nights she was up until 9:30. I'm hoping being back in her crib will provide longer stretches of sleep instead of the 3 hour stretches she was having in her pack and play. Again, Ruby gives Ben and I SO much joy. It is hard to describe or put into words. I think other mommas understand what I'm trying to talk about. Oh yeah, Ben and I are also the proud owners of a mini van. Yep, you read that correctly...MINI VAN! I've always wanted one, but I felt like we had to have a kid first. Lord willing one day that mini van will be filled with little Ben and Anne Harvey's.

Thank you everyone for all the love and support that my family has received over the last three months. When you are done reading this and if you are able, I want you to call your dad and tell him how much you love him. In fact, try to do that with all of the people in your life that you love and are so thankful for. You won't regret it!

My dad and I on my wedding day. He was the most incredible father. I honestly wouldn't change a single thing from him as my dad.  

Ruby and I in Watertown. 

Ruby with her cousin Liam. He just turned 3. I'm surprised that Ruby didn't squish the poor guy.

Ruby had her first in car blowout on the way to Watertown. 

Four Months!

Hey Everyone,

Life has been a little crazy lately. What I have learned in the last month or two is that you should make the very most out of your relationships. Nobody is guaranteed a tomorrow. With God, that reality is ok and comforting.

Ruby is four months old. I'm absolutely loving every. single. day. of being her mom. She brings me such joy through her smiles, giggles, roll overs, intent staring, finger sucking, head bobbling, and so much more. She has been rolling over for about a week now. This is great, however sometimes in the middle of the night she likes to practice this new trick and can't roll back over, therefore crying for momma to come flip her. Ruby will be getting her four month shots on Monday. I HATE seeing her cry. The only time that she really cries is when she is in her car seat, fighting her sleep, or getting her shots. Last go around wasn't horrible. She ran a slight fever for a couple days and that is it. I think it is much harder on us mommas. I know plenty of anti-vexers out there and I respect whatever choice you make for your child, because in the end we are all doing what we think is best for them. For Ben and I, we are pro vaccinations.

Did I mention that Ruby is sleeping in her crib? She is and it is GREAT! Ben is not the quietest person in planet. I love you babe, but you are kind of clumsy. He would bang into the wall going into the bathroom, shut and open the door as loud as one possibly can, not shower until right before bed when Ruby is already sleeping. Now, I get that we are supposed to have noise and have her be a little used to that kind of thing, and she would generally do really well. BUUUT, sometimes when you are super tired and you worked really hard to get your dear one down and sleeping...it's a bit frustrating when she would wake up from the toilet flushing. Ha, end of rant, she is now in her crib in her own room and rocking it! I think it was much harder on me, but now that she is in there it is great. She sleeps well and we sleep well. One of the biggest perks is that I get to stay up late and read. I just finished the book, Orphan Train. My sister just told me about Kindle Fire's and how you can read E-Books from your local library. How cool is that? Well, I ordered one last night! I can't wait to get my reading on! Any book recommendations? I don't like sad or suspenseful books.

Today I went to my first MOMS club meeting. It will be so good to get to know other moms in my surrounding community. I even met a mom who had her baby on the same exact day as me in the same hospital! How cool is that? I'm also going to be joining MOPS through my church in the fall.

Well, that is life lately. If you think of it, would you lift my Dad and family in your prayers? My dad started the chemo pill about a week ago. He has been feeling as well as he can be I think. Most of his pain right now is coming from the hip that he broke a couple of weeks ago. Like I mentioned that nobody's life is guaranteed. I pray that you all will/know Jesus and can trust His plan and know that whatever happens in this world is temporary and that eternity is what matters most. If you have any questions (not that I have all the answers) about that please email me at anne.harvey7@gmail.com or message me on Facebook. I would love to chat about it!

Ruby at 1 hour old and Ruby at 4 Months. Time sure flies when you're having fun! :)

What Makes My Heart Melt

Hey everyone,

Life has been a little crazy lately filled with plenty of ups and downs. I thought I would share some things that make my heart melt.

1. The way Ben looks at Ruby.
2. When I'm feeding Ruby she always holds onto my thumb.
3.  When I can get her to giggle. She definitely makes me work for it.
4. The way she stares so intently at you and then breaks out with a smile.
5. When Ruby wakes up she is ALWAYS happy. The minute you talk to her she smiles from ear to ear.
6. The way she will hang on me almost like a kangaroo. She is always so content when held like that.
7. The way she smells, especially after a bath.
8. The way she talks to her friends. (I call her play mat with hanging birds her friends.)
9. The secon I lay her down for a nap or to sleep at night she immediately turns and sucks on her thumb.
10. Her big brown eyes. Yep, I'm almost positive I have a brown eyed girl. It's kind of funny. I always wondered when I would transition to saying Ruby is so and so weeks to so an so months. Someone asked at the grocery store and I couldn't remember what week we are on, but I did know she was 3 1/2 ish months. I counted when we got home and she is 15 weeks today. We are getting very excited to Daddy home this summer. We also are buying a computer and getting internet again. I can't wait to blog from an actual laptop. :)