Happy Halloween

It's really more me freaking out about how cute she is than anything else, but here's what Ruby is for Halloween.

Haha

I came out of the bathroom and found Ruby french kissing the table leg, smacking loudly. Better that than my shoes.

So for record keeping sake, I made a list of all the things I've knitted in the past year (I started in earnest about this time last year), and I think knitting definitely qualifies as one of my recent obsessions. I've made:

6 baby sweaters
3 baby hats
1 pair of booties
1 pair of baby shoes
2 pairs of leg warmers
5 pairs of hand warmers (1 men's)
8 knit dolls (10-12 in high)
1 men's sweater
1 women's sweater (an abject failure)
4 pairs of women's socks
2 pairs of knee high women's socks
1 pair men's socks
1 adult hat
1 cowl
1 sweater for a stuffed animal named Max

As I've mentioned, there was only one failed project, and that was a sweater for me. Stupid pattern. It was way too big, and I've never seen anything so misshapen. Oh well. One strike in a year's worth of knitting isn't too bad.

Dirt

I'm amused and dismayed by Ruby's penchant for eating dirt. Every chance she gets, she's standing by the ficus plant shoveling dirt into her mouth. Her lips are brown and grainy, she's coughing on the bits she's inhaled, and her fingernails are black. How is she so fast?

Another pair of socks

Made from corn fiber yarn. No I didn't spin the yarn myself.

Sometimes we feel this way

Mouth games

She's learned to make an "o" with her mouth and whistle through it. And she does fish lips.

Still in Shock

So yesterday I borrowed a book about being diaper free. It seemed to make sense, but it also seemed like a ton of work. So at the book's suggestion, I thought I'd take it slow and just try to hold Ruby over a little potty when she first woke up in the morning and just see what happened. I was really quite skeptical.

Well, I switched the light on and held her over the baby potty next to our bed, (just for fun, you know) and she started to cry. So I pulled her up a little and I hear two plop plops. Wha!!?? She had pooped and peed in the potty. Well, I put diapers on her and decided not to try again until tomorrow (and I was probably just really lucky this morning anyway...) so I put her down for a nap. While she was napping I decided it couldn't hurt to hold her over a potty after she got up again, so I did, and she pooped yet again. I just can't believe it.

(Later: She did it a third time after her 2nd nap! Peed and pooed. Amazing.)

On more child related things-- she just won't sit down. She won't bend her waist. She always wants to be standing or walking. She can crawl, but she wants me to hold her hands while she walks to whatever she wants. So bending (literally) to her every whim, I am her little chauffeur. Oochie my back.

Not a present

So my parents are getting me a birthday gift, but it's really a gift for them. You know those? Heh. It's a camcorder. It's a sweet camcorder. It can take videos underwater. My mom is acting like this camera is going to be the way to get me to document every minute of Ruby's life. The RUBY SHOW. Oh well. There are worse things than having to tape my darling little girl, I suppose.

She's there

Ruby started properly crawling yesterday. I thought this whole mobile baby thing would be more gradual, but no, it happens in a day. Now that she can crawl, the whole house is her oyster. No place is safe from the drooling child. As I type, she is trying to climb the stairs. AAAHHH!

Finally

After 5 months of trying to get the sewer dudes to come out here, they are finally here.

I always forget how midwesterners say "root". I remember when the talkative sewer guy came out in April and he kept talking about turrets. I had to admit to him that I did not know what turrets were, and he looked at me like I was crazy. I finally understood that he meant tree roots. Oops.

Ick

Coco left me a lovely wet hairball at the end of the bed last night. It was disgusting and wet as I scooted off the bed to get Ruby. I thought it was poo, but thankfully, it was not. But still gross.

I started baking again at the May Day. Today, I couldn't finish in time, so Jonner took off for work, and I finished my shift with her on my back. It was actually better than when I was pregnant-- at least the weight was behind me and she wasn't in my way.

Wah!

I have to tell you all. There is nothing quite so shocking as waking up to get your baby in the middle of the night, and seeing her standing in her crib for the first time.