15 months

I am 15 months!

• I am 31 inches (40th percentile) and 21lb 7oz (28th percentile).
• I now SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There were a few rough nights at first but we're all happier now! Mommy was extra excited because I continued to sleep well when we were out of town over Thanksgiving! In the past I haven't slept well when we've been traveling.
• I no longer take a bottle at bedtime/night!
• I take a 2ish hour nap after lunch.
• I still just have 6 teeth. Two on the bottom and four on top.
• I wear a size 4 diaper, a size 4 shoe, and 12-18mo clothes. Right now 12mo clothes are a bit too small for me and 18mo clothes are a bit too big.
• I'm still a bit of a grouch but overall I'm happier than I was last month.
• I love to eat! My favorite food is fruit of any kind! I also love eggs and cheese toast. The only treat I like is a cookie...and I LOVE cookies!

• I drink 12-16oz of whole milk each day and drink lots of water throughout the day.
• I'm starting to communicate more. I will point to things I need and will try to communicate my needs to Mommy or Daddy by showing them what I need. I also say "da" for dog, "mo" for more, "bu" for book. I sign milk, please, all done, more and eat. I have also been trying to imitate word sounds.
• This month I celebrated Thanksgiving. I celebrated with both sides of the family and we also stayed an extra night at Aunt Suzy and Uncle Clyde's house.

• I love playing in leaf piles.

• I like to color. It's what the big kids do.

• I love playing with my sisters. I still am a little hesitant to join in when all of them are playing together but I love playing one on one with each of them.
• Roo and I have become really great buddies. We laugh and laugh all morning! She is generally very gentle with me and she loves to take care of me. If my future wife wonders why I can't take off my own shoes or wipe my own nose it's because Ruthie always does it for me!
• I love to play outside. The slide is my favorite! I also like to walk around the yard carrying my bat.
• I love animals.

• I discovered salsa this month. I LOVE salsa.
• This month I went to see Santa. I was not a fan.

• I love to throw things. Especially if they make a loud noise!
• I'm a pretty good listener.
• I LOVE my pacifier. Mommy is working on sneaking it away from me during the day but I generally start looking for it after a few minutes. At bedtime and naptime I want to have one in my mouth and one in my hand.

• I love when someone sings to me.
• I love touch and feel books and other interactive books.
• I like to work on playing t-ball. I'm still working on getting the hang of swinging the bat.
• I love to pat my tummy!

Christmas with the Edwards

We celebrated Christmas with Paul's side of the family on the 23rd.

Fred and Gin-g and Emily and Blake all came to our house in the afternoon and we exchanged presents and had dinner before everyone headed out. We all got some great stuff and enjoyed spending time with family! (Also, I was seriously failed at getting pictures of everyone opening their presents!)

JP was excited about his Gamecocks hat from Blake and Emily! He pulled it out of the bag and knew exactly what to do with it!

All the kids got a game from GiGi and PaPa and Blake and I enjoyed playing all of them with the girls while the rest of the crew went and got dinner. Fred got some video of Blake and I playing Twister but *sad* I don't have it! Lol!


There was also a rousing game of tag at the end of the evening but I didn't get any video of it. It ended however with a pileup on the couch!

Hop on Uncle Blake!

Dear Ruthie

Dear Ruthie,

Wow! I don't even know where to start describing you. Generally I tell people that your hair matches your personality and I think that's a pretty accurate description of who you are!

You are strong willed and determined and snugly and smart and a helper and a problem solver and you have definite opinions (about pretty much everything) and this year you have definitely been a 2 year old. When you put your foot down about something you don't budge. It has caused many a difficult moment between us. Sometimes though this works in your favor.

For instance, in February this year you decided one day while I was changing your diaper that you were NOT a baby and you were not going to wear a diaper anymore. You were so determined to be a big girl and because of that you were SO easy to potty train! I hadn't planned on potty training you that early but you made it clear that you had a different plan than me (and I sure wasn't going to argue about one less diaper to change!).

You have definitely been a two year old this year. It has often been rough. There is much screaming and indecisiveness and a definite inability to make up your mind. Sometimes I just feel defeated at the end of the day. Then you curl up next to me and I remember that this too shall pass and it's ok. Also, if you want to skip being a threenager that's ok with me!

Ruthie you are such a good big sister and I have loved watching you grow into the role this year. You are always looking out for JP. When we got to the Y they always tell me what a good big sister you are and how attentive you are to JP. They say if he fusses at all you are right there figuring out what he needs and giving him hugs. It's not always pretty. You and JP did have a difficult time when he first started wanting to play with you. He always wanted the toy you had and to be right in the middle of what you were doing. But y'all worked it out and you play SO well together now! I love the sound of the two of you laughing together.

You still suck on your fingers and drag around your (dirty, nasty, stained) pillow and two Aden and Anais blankets. I tried getting you a new pillowcase for Christmas but you like the well loved one. We are working on getting you to only suck on your fingers at night. I think I may be a little sad when you stop sucking on your fingers. Most of me will be glad but part of me will be sad as it's a step towards being more grown up and just another reminder that you are no longer a baby.

Ruthie you are my teeny tiny girl. You had a rough start to the year last year, getting both pneumonia and a stomach virus in the first two months. In the end you lost 20% of your body weight but we have FINALLY gained it back and then some! However, as tiny as you are you are TOUGH. You go full steam ahead. You are always covered in bruises (the curse of having no extra baby fat to cushion the tumbles). You are so tough though as you take some big tumbles and just get up and keep going. This year you hit your chin in the bathtub and had to have it glued back together. You were upset at first because it hurt but you really didn't cry too long and you were so brave while the doctor was fixing it. Through all the flare ups with your eczema and all your ear infections (yay for getting tubes next week!) you rarely complain. I think you're just so used to being uncomfortable and that makes me so sad for you. At the same time I am very excited for you this year as you experience life without ear infections and with your eczema under control.

Ruthie you LOVE your big sisters. As the year has gone on you've been more and more able to really play their imaginative games with them. You especially love to play baby dolls with them. You are so happy when it's time to pick them up from school. You love that Emmie can read books to you now. You love to snuggle with your sisters and often will sleep all night in one of their beds. Today I looked over while you were watching TV with them and you and Ellie were curled up together. It absolutely melted my heart. In everything you just want to be doing what the big girls are doing. Because of this you are so brave and often will do things that most kids your age won't do. You took swim lessons this summer. You had spent the month before watching the big girls take swim lessons and were so sad that you didn't get to take lessons. So when your turn came you did AMAZING! You cried some the first day but after that you were fabulous. The other parents were quite impressed with how well you did!

It's not often that you will snuggle with me (although you do love to give quick hugs!) so I take advantage of the times you will let me. You love to nap in my bed with me and I love this sweet time with you when we read books and cuddle.

Ruthie you are my problem solver. If you need something you just figure out a way to get it!  I look forward to seeing where this trait takes you in life!

Ruthie I think my favorite memory of you was when we brought you home from the hospital and set your carrier on the floor and your sisters and Franklin were playing and going in and out of your line of sight and being loud and wild and your eyes just lit up. At just one day old you were finding joy in the people around you and you definitely wanted to be a part of the craziness. Your eyes sparkle and I know that it is a sparkle of mischief and fun and will keep us on our toes! I hope you always keep your sense of adventure and joy and your excitement in everything you do.

I love you Roo-Roo!



2013


2014


2015

Merry Christmas!

We had a WONDERFUL Christmas at our house today! Santa came by last night and even texted me a picture of himself in our den...the girls thought this was SO impressive! (Ellie's jaw literally dropped when she saw the picture!)







My family was originally planning to come after breakfast today. Sometime yesterday evening I believe Ben and Ruth convinced my parents to come earlier. We were so happy to have them here for a big breakfast. (They almost made it in time to see the kids come out of their rooms...they missed it by about 20 minutes...those kiddos were excited and up a little bit earlier than normal.) Santa was good to the kids...and to Paul and I! The kids had each asked for 1 or 2 things from Santa and he delivered! JP of course hadn't asked for anything but he was beyond thrilled with his slide. He played on it ALL DAY! The plan is for the slide to stay inside at least through the winter since he loves our outdoor slide so much.

Everyone gets an orange in their stocking. JP and Ruthie were SUPER excited about their oranges!

Goldfish! He ate A LOT! (And then discovered that it was fun to dump them out and stomp on them!)

Really the only sweet JP likes is cookies so he was pretty excited to get his own package of cookies.

After the Santa reveal and the Rainey clan's arrival we sat down to a delicious breakfast. My mom made her yummy Monkey Bread (a Christmas tradition that I had missed since we started doing Christmas at our own house when Emmie was born) and some sausage and I made bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs.

After breakfast the kids played for a bit and then we sat down to open Christmas presents. We all got some pretty wonderful gifts! Everyone had put lots of thought into their gifts and those are always the best kind of presents. From us the kids get something they want, something they need, and something to read. This year the girls also got a "forever" gift. We gave the girls a silver charm bracelet. They were really excited and their first charm is the flower bouquet charm they got from Ben and Ruth for being in their wedding.

The three year old gift for our girls is a jewelry box inscribed with their name. It has a ballerina and plays music. Ruthie was SO excited and enthralled!

Ruth and Ben made each of the girls a photo album with pictures from the wedding in it. The girls have LOVED looking at their pictures! (And all the adults loved looking at the pictures just as much!)

Franklin is always the most excited about Christmas and we all love to watch him open his presents! We let him open the first present because he was just so excited! There were a few times he went outside between his turns opening presents and I would just call "Franklin, present!" and he would come running. I love this little puppy!

Ellie got a mermaid tail blanket. She LOVES it! She was hilarious because she kept sticking all her gifts in the blanket.

The charm bracelet reveal!

After presents the kids played for a bit and then we had a delicious steak lunch that my mom brought. I am so grateful that she always brings a yummy meal so that I don't have to cook!

Uncle Ben and Aunt Ruth both love Calvin and Hobbes and each time they come they bring Emmie (and her sisters) a new Calvin and Hobbes book to borrow.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the day together before everyone headed back to Greenville.

Franklin was SO worn out after everyone left. He was so tired he didn't even move when the girls were eating dinner and he ALWAYS moves for food!

Christmas Eve

O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of our dear Saviour’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
‘Til He appear’d and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born;
O night divine, O night, O night Divine.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
His power and glory evermore proclaim.

We had a lovely Christmas Eve. We started out delivering some treats to some of our neighbors. The girls had the BEST time being little elves!


Throughout the day we also frequently checked in on the NORAD Santa tracker and used our globe to see where Santa was in relation to our house. The girls wanted to make sure they were in bed by the time Santa arrived!

After lunch a close friend of mine from college (and one of  my bridesmaids), Katie, and her husband Chris came to visit. They live in Reno but are visiting family on the east coast and stopped by on their way to Myrtle Beach. I LOVED getting to hang out with them! The plans came together last night so it was a fun little surprise for our day!

After Katie and Chris's visit we headed to church for the Children's Service. They always do such a good job and I love that the whole service is geared toward the children. Emmie was thrilled that the offering from the Children's Service was going to support her friend Levi and his family. They are missionaries in Poland!

Ruthie had fallen asleep in the car and we woke her up to take these pictures...she was NOT pleased!

After the service we came home and the kids played for a bit and then we ate dinner. After dinner the kids put on their pajamas and we settled in for one of my favorite Christmas traditions: hot chocolate, sweet treats, and a Christmas movie. (And JP had what was apparently the best.cookie.ever...one of Gran's gingerbread cookies.) We used to always watch the Polar Express but the last few years we've changed up the movie. This year the kids picked "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" as the Christmas movie. They really enjoyed it!

Ruthie was actually happy in this picture...she was saying "hot chocolate"!

After the movie it was time to write letters for Santa and put our some snacks. Emmie left a jingle bell for Santa as a gift. Ellie wanted to leave money so that he could buy more toys for other kids next year and Ruthie tagged along with Ellie's idea. I love these sweet girls and their spirit of giving!




Finally it was time for bed. Before the kids went to bed we read the story of Jesus's birth from the Bible. Now everyone is tucked in asleep and tomorrow we celebrate with family!