Rapper Ruthie

Yo, yo, everybody. What' up? It's rapper Ruthie here and I want you to listen real good to what I have to say...

It's rapper Ruthie and I want to say
What I woke up to this mornin', on Christmas Day.
'Cause last night was real nice on Christmas Eve,
Watchin' the lights out in 40 degrees.

But this mornin' I woke up and I looked outside
And I said "NO!" (that means "snow"). Oh yeah, that's right!
So much "no" all over the ground
Well I couldn't stay inside and lay around.

So I got on my shirt and my pants and snowsuit
Then my coat and my hat and my gloves and my boots.
Outside I went with my mommy in tow
She took the pics while I jammed in the "no."

Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo,
I'm in the "no, no, no, no."

I'm Rapper Ruthie, now I'm sayin' "night, night."
Hope you didn't mind hearing 'bout my Christmas that was white.

YO YO!

Turkey Day

This was a good Thanksgiving. This was my first year not traveling or spending it with family and I have to say I rather enjoyed it. Not that I don't enjoy the family get-togethers, but it was so nice not having to deal with the craziness of Thanksgiving travel. I know you know what I'm talking about- the "busiest travel days of the year"- which directly translates into long ticket lines, extra-long and extra-slow security lines, delays, cancellations, cranky people, etc.... And, of course, you add to that traveling with a child... nope! I was totally satisfied staying home in Denver.

Not that we spent the day in our house eating take-out. We spent the afternoon and evening with four of our good friends and had a DELICIOUS Thanksgiving meal.

As far as Ruthie goes, this was her first Thanksgiving with a mouthful of teeth, and she definitely took advantage of that! She DEVOURED the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, the sweet potatoes, the green bean casserole, the bread, and any other main course dishes that I might be forgetting. She didn't say "no" to anything and she just kept on eating and eating. Just when I thought for sure she'd explode, she would take another bite of something. Don't forget that that was just the main course! Prior to that she munched on crackers as appetizers and, during dessert, she worked her way around the room getting multiple bites of pies from everyone! It's very possible that at 19 months, Ruthie ate more Thanksgiving food than anyone else in the room.

Number Two

Well, if you haven't already heard the news, here it is (look left!). That's right- a new baby Olson is on the way!

We're still pretty early on in the pregnancy. These pictures were taken yesterday at 13 weeks and 2 days. I wasn't supposed to have an ultrasound until 20 weeks, but some hopefully minor concerns had me in the office getting a full checkover. Thankfully, there was a strong heartbeat and a VERY active baby! As long as everything stays that way, we can expect this new little one around May 24th.

My doctor asked if we were finding out the sex, and if we wanted her to see if she could tell. "YES!" The closest she could get, though, was "Well, that could be a 5th appendage or it could just be the cord." And, unless I'm in for any more "checkovers" we'll have to wait until January to find out with more certainty.

The most amazing part was seeing how much change occurs in such a short amount of time. My first ultrasound at 7 weeks showed nothing more than a peanut/nugget/blob with a heartbeat. Now, only six weeks later, we could see the whole profile, hands and fingers, a spine, a brain, etc.... It's pretty amazing!

We will keep you updated on the progress of this pregnancy. In the meantime, enjoy the pics. Keep in mind, the baby right now is about the size of an action figure with a really large head!

If you have any suggestions for names- boy or girl- feel free to share. Right now we've narrowed it down to Ruthie #2 (we think either a boy or girl could handle that, don't you?)!

Adeluth's Fugue

Think Muppet Show theme song... "It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to get things started with Adeluth tonight...."

Tonight's feature performance is Miss Ruthie and Miss Adeline debuting their very first piano duet. This is an original fugue designed together by both artists. Their skills combined make for a mesmerizing performance. You have Miss Adeline, whose technical skills and focus clearly lead this masterpiece, while Miss Ruthie completes it with her abilities to follow along and add her own touch of uniqueness and clarity.

And how, you might ask, did they come up with the exquisite title, Adeluth's Fugue? Clearly it is the combination of their names, Adeline and Ruth. Just as they worked together as a team to create this musical work of perfection, the title reflects that same commitment to their teamwork and camaraderie.

Why not call it Rutheline's Fugue? Simple. At this stage in her life, Ruthie likes to put her friends first.

And now, for our feature performance.... We hope you enjoy the show!

School Days

Yes, I know. It's not really school, it's just daycare. Hey, it's close enough! She goes everyday during regular school hours, she learns things.... Besides, what daycare means to Ruthie is that she gets to carry her "bapa." That would be two short-a vowel sounds and it refers to Ruthie's beautiful red Hello Kitty backpack- the one that she LOVES taking to "school!"

Checking In

Ruthie had her 18 month check-up this past week, so I thought I'd pass along her stats. She weighed in at 24 lb 5 oz.- that's right smack dab in the middle at 50%. As far as height, I thought she seemed fairly tall compared to other kids. Sure enough, she measured at 32 1/2 inches which is the 75th percentile. And, her head size is a whopping 77%! What does all of that mean? It means she's doing great! And that I shouldn't be surprised when I can't get a shirt over her head!

Body Language

At 18 months, Ruthie's ability to learn and acquire language and skills is developing at the rate of about, oh, say, the speed of light. Her ability to understand and follow directions is pretty phenomenal. You ask her to bring you something, she brings it. You ask her not to do something, she stops doing it. Last week, I had her on my bed and she kept saying "shoes." I put her on the floor and she immediately went over to her room and brought me a pair of shoes. I asked her if she could get some socks to go with her shoes. What does Ruthie do? She goes back to her room, walks over to the dresser with her socks, opens the correct drawer, and brings me back a pair of socks. Now, maybe out there in the rest of the world, this is normal for an 18 month old but, since I have no idea, it seems pretty phenomenal to me!

The following video unveils some more of Ruthie's recently acquired knowledge specifically regarding body language. I realize that the term "body language" may cause you to question the nature of this video, but I assure you that the title is quite befitting and the video is in good taste.

Wild Card

If you have been at all following Major League baseball, then you know that earlier tonight the Rockies battled the Padres for the Wild Card spot in the playoffs. This was the "playoffs before the playoffs" and the Olsons were there to enjoy almost every minute of it. Ruthie cheered along with all the great moments and clapped along with all the great songs and music. She even gave high fives to the men behind us when things were going really well.

Fortunately, the game started at 5:30, which fit right into Ruthie's schedule. Unfortunately, the ninth inning came and went with a 6-6 tie, forcing the teams to determine a winner with extra innings. We made it through the 11th inning. Not bad for a little one, just shy of 18 months.

Thankfully, we made it home in time to watch the entire 13th inning, during which the Padres scored two more runs and then, in the bottom of the 13th, the Rockies came back with three runs to win the Wild Card spot 9-8. The highlight of the whole evening, though, was when one man sitting behind us (one of the high-fivers!) said to me during the game, "It's so nice to see such a happy baby here." I responded with a heartfelt "Thank you" and he followed that with "No, thank YOU."

As wonderful and exciting as it is to have the Rockies in the playoffs, nothing beats knowing that your child made someone else's day a whole lot brighter.






Go Rockies and Go Ruthie!

Ski Inspector

Ruthie has acquired some important new skills. Since she is not yet allowed to participate in the actual activity of skibuilding she has instead volunteered to inspect the skis after they come out of the press. Ruthie gives two thumbs up. They've passed the inspection. Good job, dad!

Ruthie's only comment- "When are you making skis in my size?"

Moving Right Along

Just to give you an update on Ruthie's walking....

At 15 months and 1 day, she took her first steps. After that, she took it slow- observing everyone around her, taking one little step here and there. After a while, she progressed up to several steps at more frequent intervals. Finally, Ruthie has proven that she is ready to cut loose. I think we can call her official walking start at 16 1/2-16 3/4 months. With that slow but clearly observational and introspective progression from stepper to walker, Ruthie managed to bypass the entire falling down period. She stands on her own two feet quite well.

The Constant Gardener

As you can see in this picture, Ruthie is enjoying her time in the garden. She may as well start helping out with the gardening, since she is certainly reaping the benefits of the yummies which are growing.

Just like every other summer, zucchini is our top growing crop. Thank goodness Ruthie likes it. In fact, she seems to like it in every possible way... grilled, sauteed, steamed, in circles, wedges, sticks, in chunks, chopped, ground up, liquified, as a main course, in lasagna, on the side, with a fork, a spoon, her hands....

Another favorite of Ruthie's is our second highest yielding crop. Actually, it's really the highest yielding, it's count is way beyond that of the zucchini, but it seems less so because the produce is so much smaller. That would be our strawberries. Boy, does Ruthie love strawberries. She loves them so much that she is willing to go through the arduous work of picking them herself. As you will see in the video, she can even discern between those that are ripe and unripe. Since picking strawberries is a bit of a chore, I have no problem letting Ruthie do it. Except, you might also notice, that if I leave it solely up to her, there's a good chance that no one else will ever get to enjoy them.

Look Who's Talking

We are finally winding down from all of the excitement involved with Ruthie taking her first steps. Jon started walking at 15 months. Ruthie's first steps were at 15 months and 2 days. She is, quite literally, following in her father's footsteps. That's not to say that Ruthie is running around doing cartwheels or anything. She is still taking steps here and there, but only when she lets us let go of her.

While Ruthie is still certainly in the normal time frame of learning to walk, I have heard some positive thoughts referring to those who take those first steps later rather than sooner. One thought is that kids who walk later turn out to be more athletic due to the much needed coordination it takes to crawl efficiently (this is, of course, assuming that the child who is not yet walking is, in fact, crawling). In regards to Ruthie, you know that she is already quite the little swimmer. She also has quite a knack for climbing onto and off of various objects (stairs, boxes, sofas, etc) without any help. She has even mastered getting out of spaces in which she was initially buckled down (highchairs, changing tables, shopping carts, etc). Thank goodness she's stopped doing that last one- for now, at least! Needless to say, Ruthie is clearly showing signs of athletic ability, or, at the very least, that she has strong coordination skills. For Ruthie to ski, walking is not important. However, knowing how to coordinate one's arms and legs together into the right movements and rhythm, like crawling, is.

Another positive spin on those who walk a little later is that they are focusing more of their time honing in on their language skills first. As you will clearly be able to tell in the video below, Ruthie has a lot to say and she has obviously been working hard so that she says it all in just the right way. It makes perfect sense that while Ruthie could certainly have been practicing balancing her upper body while putting one foot in front of the other, she instead chose to develop her speech and vocabulary. She must know that this will be an important skill in life- not only for the purpose of communication, but if she has any hopes of ever beating me in Scrabble, she needs to start practicing now!

Yes, of course I know they're just thoughts. Just because Ruthie didn't take her first steps until 15 months doesn't mean she'll be a star athlete or a guru of language. But, when you're in a room full of babies and toddlers, and everyone 9 months and older is walking, except your daughter, it's nice to have those thoughts to go on.

For those of you who might have been wondering about the race between Ruthie and her cousin Jake, Ruthie was the first to take steps on her own. As far as who will be running and doing cartwheels first? That's a whole other race!

SHE FINALLY DID IT!

I can't quite put my feelings into words yet, so... just watch the video!

It's a Girl!

That's right! We have a new mouth to feed here in the Olson household. She is definitely as good an eater as Ruthie, although I think her mouth is definitely bigger! She also has a little more hair than Ruthie. She's playful and cuddly and loves to give kisses. Here she is... Miss Gertrude (Gertie) Olson!



Gertie is a German Wirehaired Pointer. She is 12 weeks old, born April 13, 2007, in Llewellen, Nebraska. The family is very excited about our newest arrival, and everyone is doing well.

Going Places

Ruthie's many travels continued last week as she visited both Chicago and Minneapolis. Among her many adventures, Ruthie gazed and giggled at the colorful fish and other sea creatures at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium, let her curls blow in the wind during a boat tour of the Chicago skyline, bobbed with the waves amid one Minnesota lake, and laughed at the chimps wrestling playfully at St. Paul's Como Park Zoo. Perhaps even more importantly, Ruthie had the great pleasure of visiting with many friends and family in both cities.



Ruthie enjoys some down time in Chicago.









Here we are standing next to a statue of Mary Tyler Moore in downtown Minneapolis, memorializing the exact spot of her famous hat toss from the opening scene of The Mary Tyler Moore Show.





In Chicago, Ruthie spent time with her great-grandparents, her uncle and cousins, and even met up with her Denver friend, Adeline, for some afternoon tapas. Having the great fortune to be able to watch Ruthie with her great Grams and Gramps brings nothing but sheer joy. And, Ruthie had nothing short of a blast entertaining all the folks in their retirement community. In the dining hall she brought smiles and laughter to everyone as she crawled and walked (still holding on!) to greet everyone at their tables. Ruthie even met two more Ruth's along the way. In fact, one of them said to me, "You know, Ruth is not a very popular name." I looked at her and said, "Well, we love it." Her response? "Well, I do, too!" So there!




Ruthie takes great Gramps for a walk!









In Minneapolis, Ruthie was able to spend time with friends Wes, Maureen, and Eric and, of course, with grandma Kate and grandpa Charlie. Ruthie received the royal treatment from grandma who knew how to spoil her in all the right ways!! She also really enjoyed being around g & g's three whippets- Emma, Hilo, and Kona. Emma is Bridget's sister but looks the least like her. Kona could be Bridget's stunt double. Everytime Ruthie saw the dogs (which was about every other second) she would get very excited and joyfully say "DOG!" A couple of times, I caught her calling Kona "Bridget."



Ruthie watches Hilo and Kona.








While we absolutely love traveling and taking Ruthie to visit friends, family, and new places, we are definitely experiencing the exhaustion of traveling with a toddler. We have one more trip next month but then we're staying put for awhile. So, anyone who wants to visit us out here in Colorado, we will be here!

The Race is On

VS





The race is on between Ruthie and her cousin Jake. The winner? The one who walks first. Who's it going to be?

Ruthie's off to a strong start. She's five months older. She's a speed-demon crawler, she climbs stairs with no fear, and she's an experienced cruiser. But, wait! Here comes Jake and, wow, is he coming on strong! He may be younger but he sure is determined. He's a Jumparoo Master, he pulls himself up, and he's starting to cruise. His biggest advantage- he's got his older sister, Alyssa, to show him how it's done.

This race is a close one. Ruthie and Jake are neck and neck. It's just too tough to call right now. Who is going to win this race?

Then again, does it really matter when they start walking? Clearly they have found much more sophisticated ways for getting around!

Funny Girl

Ruthie is endlessly making us laugh as she sports her adorable faces and her silly noises. She can do it standing up, she can do it in her highchair. She can even do it with sweet potatoes all over her face!

Baby Steps

At 13 3/4 months, Ruthie's mobility has progressed to speed-crawler, speed-climber, and soon to be speed-walker. She'll walk holding on to things and she'll walk holding our hands, but she hasn't yet taken the leap to walking on her own. But, who needs to walk when you can proficiently reach your destination in some other manner? We know Ruthie will eventually reach her walking milestone. In the meantime, we are enjoying the baby steps she's taking in that direction.

Remembering Bridget

Today was one of immense sadness as we said goodbye to our beloved dog Bridget. But, while we grieve our loss, we know that in death we can also celebrate the life that was. So, here's to our "bigger than a Whippet but smaller than a Greyhound" Bridget...

-the "leaner"
-shivering even in a warm breeze
-alpha female
-mother/big sis to Hirschel
-squirrel catcher
-hating Greyhounds, loving Vizslas
-red and black turtleneck coat
-bad teeth and bad breath
-standing up in the car
-dignified and classy
-unconditional love

Catching Up

Ruthie's life continues to unfold at the rate of a speeding bullet, with mom and dad desperately trying to follow somewhere remotely close behind. First off, I should catch everyone up on Ruthie's stats. At her 1 year appointment, Ruthie weighed in at 20 lbs 4 oz- a mere 37th percentile. She seems to have caught up in height, measuring at 30 inches, putting her in the 79th percentile. Of course, that exactness may not be anywhere near correct since we are pretty positive that Ruthie scooted about an inch while the nurse was measuring her. What we're saying is she's potentially an inch shorter, not taller!


For those of you who have not seen Ruthie in a while, she now has six teeth- four on top, two on bottom. It is no longer cute to try to get her to suck on your fingers. OUCH!

She is talking (okay, babbling) up a storm, climbing stairs, and crawling and cruising all over the place. And boy is she fast! Somehow, in the blink of an eye, she disappears from one end of the room and is already on the third step. Or we find her in the dog bowl... We're just constantly trying to catch up!

Busy as a Bee

Ruthie has had quite the whirlwind lifestyle these last two weeks. She spent a week traveling around North Carolina (about 900 miles of traveling, to be exact!), visiting Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Charlotte, and Wilmington. She visited lots of Mommy's friends and grandma's friends. She visited her aunt, uncle, and cousins in Charlotte. She saw the house where Mommy grew up, saw Mommy's high school, and met her grandpa Henry. She toured Mommy's university (go 'heels!) and watched her "Aunt" Betty complete a triathlon. She joined in a wedding shower and a knitting group. She thoroughly enjoyed some key Nawth Car'lina restaurants, including Fat Daddy's, Bojangles, and Golden Corral. She smelled an array of blooming azaleas. She waved to ducks at the lake and and ate sand at the ocean. She had her first surprise party and her first cupcake. And that was just the first week!

This past week included a Passover seder, Ruthie's first birthday, her one-year check up, and her one-year birthday party. Phew! Needless to say, Ruthie is taking an extra-long nap at this very moment. She's earned it!

Enjoying a moment at Wrightsville beach










Admiring the flowers










Looking pretty for Passover

Birthday Girl

It was exactly one year ago.... All day long I've been reminiscing to myself and to friends about the sequence of events that unfolded on April 4, 2006.

7:00am- I'd had a couple "signs" the night before, so Jon and I decide to carpool to school- JUST IN CASE!
12:00pm- Seems like a normal day. Nothing out of the ordinary.
2:45pm- School ends. I'm feeling fine. Jon decides to go to his class in Boulder.
3:30ish pm- I"m still at school. My stomach feels a little crampy. I figure it must be something I ate. I joke to a couple friends "What if it's contractions?" Their response- "Oh, you would definitely know." I figured the same thing.
4:00pm- I need to stay and get more work done, but my last resort home is about to leave and these annoying stomach pains are coming a little more frequently.
4:30pm. Get home. Decide maybe I should write down times JUST IN CASE they might be contractions. Times vary. Nothing consistent. I'm sure it's just something I ate.
4:45pm- Get a phone call from a friend. Cramps are coming more often and I'm having a hard time breathing through them. Tell friend I need to go call the doctor. Maybe they are contractions!
4:46pm- Kaiser main line (K)- "This is Kaiser. How can I help you?" Jen (J)- "Ummm, is this the right number to call if I think I might be having contractions?" K-"YOU'RE HAVING CONTRACTIONS??!! HOLD ON AND STAY ON THE LINE!" transfer... Kaiser Nurse (N)-"You're having contractions? How far apart are they?" J-"Well, it's nothing consistent. 9 minutes, then 4 mintues, then 10 minutes, then 5 minutes..." N-"Um, yeah. Those average 5minutes, so you need to get to the hospital RIGHT AWAY!" J-Well, my husband's on his way home from Boulder. I"ll just wait for him." N- "If he'll FOR CERTAIN be there in the next 20 minutes then okay. If not, you need to get someone to drive you now."
5:00pm- Call Jon, expecting him to be on his way home. Instead, this is what I hear. "Hey, class went a little late tonight, so I'm just now walking out of the building." This is where I freak out and start bawling hysterically and hyperventilating.
5:02pm- Call friend to take take me to the hospital.
5:15pm- Friend arrives. We're on our way. Contractions are exactly 3 minutes apart.
5:30pm- Grandparents call. "Hi there. We were just thinking about you. How are you?" J-"Actually, I'm on my way to the hospital. Don't call my mother!"
5:48pm- Arrive at the hospital. Get checked in and go back to be monitored. I"m dilated to a 7. I wonder what happened to 1-6. Call some friends. Call my mother. Wonder if Jon will make it on time.

JON MAKES IT- PHEW!!!!!

6:59pm- Into the world comes the most amazing little person.

Our lives are forever changed.

First Words

Like many babies, Ruthie's babbles of "dada" and "mama" to anyone and anything began months ago. Slowly but surely she has begun to associate words to their objects. She looks at Daddy and says "dada." She looks at the chair and says "mama." She looks back at Daddy and says "dada." She looks at the wall and says "mama." Back to Daddy. "dada." Then over to Bridget. "bridget." Now she's looking at the ceiling. "mama." Finally she looks at Mommy... and she starts crying. Hey, I never said she was associating ALL words to their objects!

In the following video, are a few rare caught-on-tape moments of some of Ruthie's very first words. Make sure the volume is turned up- this is not a silent film!

Standing Tall

Ruthie has finally made it into the world of the standing. Yes, she's taken her sweet time reaching this point. Maybe it's because we kept wanting and willing her to stand. We would lift her up, hold her out, and wait for her to stretch her legs down long so we could plant her feet firmly on the ground. In reality we would lift her up, hold her out, and Ruthie would do one of two things; a) stretch her legs out in front of her (the "I'm sitting in midair' position), or b) tuck her legs up underneath her (the "I'm in mid-jump" position). Neither led to standing so we stopped trying.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was sitting on the floor with Ruthie and up she went. All by herself. No help from anybody. She stood right up like she'd been doing it for years. And that was it. We didn't see her stand again until tonight. Maybe she stopped standing because we've been egging her on every time we set her down. Maybe she stopped because, when she stood up the first time, I yelled "YAY" so excitedly that I think I scared her half to death because she sat right back down and started crying hysterically. Or, maybe she stopped because she just wasn't quite ready to transition from infancy to toddlerhood. Whatever the case, it seems that now she's ready.

Olympic Hopeful?

Don't worry. We're not the kind of parents who feel that we need to push our daughter into what we think her life should be. If, however, she happens to discover that swimming is her niche, I know that neither of us would say "No."

Ruthie is nearing the end of her 6-12 month infant swim class. She started when she was 8 months old and right away earned herself the one and only class title of "Little Fish." She took to the water instantly. While friends have had up and down days- crying when they're tired or hungry or wet or when the water's too cold, Ruthie has yet to complain. Rather, she splashes and reaches and kicks and bounces and dunks and floats. In every class she swims her little heart out and she loves it.

Should Ruthie find some other niche in her life, that's totally fine. We won't stand in her way. But if Ruthie decides to join the swim team, we will absolutely be on the sidelines cheering her to victory!

And, if it does happen, watch out.... She's already got a mean butterfly kick!

Hello and Goodbye

Ruthie is rapidly picking up all sorts of new skills. Here is one of them.

Moving Ahead

For a while now, Ruthie has been quite the roller, rolling from one end of a room and back, gathering along the way anything that might be in her way. It's been just in the last week or two that Ruthie finally began the "army crawl." You know, the one where she drags herself across the floor by her elbows and forearms. In just the past week she discovered how to do planks, where her forearms are on the floor and she lifts up on her toes (it's great for the abs!). While she has had this range of movement, she never really seemed to care where she actually ended up. We would put a favorite toy out of her reach, she would eye it, maybe move forward a couple inches, then proceed to roll on her back or turn around and inch away in the opposite direction.

But it was just last night that Ruthie finally figured out how purposeful crawling can be. It was like a light went on and suddenly Ruthie realized that by crawling she could actually reach the object of her desire. She even got up on her knees for the very first time and I have to say that I almost cried when she did it. I didn't think it would be so emotional, but I was just so darn proud of her!

What's in a Name?

As we think about what we want to name our children, there's so much that goes into the process. Origin, meaning, does it sound right, are they going to get made fun of? It's a huge decision, and a huge responsibility, providing someone with the name that she will take on for the rest of her life.

While we certainly explored other names, and the most dreadful possibilities at that, we both liked the name Ruth from the start. Biblically, Ruth is a cherished and loved member of the Jewish faith. Being the first convert to Judaism, this is a profoundly strong connection to Jon and his family. And, the name is also deeply connected to me, being that there was a Ruth some generations back in my family who was also a twin.

We also like that the name Ruth seems to always conjur up good people. All the Ruths or Ruthies I have known or have heard of have all been truly well-loved people. In fact, just about everyone I know has said to me, "My (grandma/aunt/mom's best friend) Ruth was just the greatest most sweetest person I ever knew." And, while I don't believe in relying solely on the meaning of a name to predict any sort of future characteristics for a person, I do think that it must effect everyone someway, somehow. But it is just one more reason for us to love the name Ruth, because only good things can possibly come to a person whose name means friend.

Baby Ruth, on the other hand, just means chocolatey-covered peanuts and nougat.

Generations

This past weekend, Ruthie and Jen were lucky enough to be able to abandon snow-ridden Denver for a brief jaunt to abnormally warm Chicago. Ruthie got to visit with her grandma Barb, uncle Rick, aunt Joni, cousin Jori, and most special of all- great Grandma and great Grandpa. How fortunate we are to have four generations of family still going strong!

Ruthie with mom, grandma, and great grandma


Ruthie had a blast with great Grams and Gramps and she captured the attention of everyone in their building. In fact, Ruthie was equally in awe of them, which is evidenced by how quickly she picked up on some of the tricks they taught her!

Sharing

Who doesn't believe in sharing? We may not always like sharing but we do at least believe in it. Even at her young age, Ruthie, too, seems to understand what it means to share. In fact, we think she even likes it!

I Love You

Woohoo!!! Jen has finally figured out how to post a video!!! I would like to start with one of my favorites. Many of you have seen an alternate version, but not this particular one.

Pint-Size Beauty

Although we still have two days to go in the bottom of the eighth month, we took Ruthie in today for her 9 month check-up. It wasn't a necessary check-up, since there are no shots between 6 and 12 months, but our doctor gave us the option at her last appointment. "You can wait until 12 months, or you can bring her in and get her measurements..." Since we are not ones to pass up the opportunity to get Ruthie's weight and measurements, and we happen to like our pediatrician, of course we took her in!

Here's the results... We like to think that Ruthie is very headstrong and smart. In fact, just this morning, she managed to get an entire newspaper out of its bag (this often proves difficult for many adults) and she opened a tub of Butt Paste all by herself (the lid is bigger than both her hands). And, she did all of this without anyone actually seeing her. Some might call this sneaky or naughty. We are going to use the term "smart!" And, this goes right along with Ruthie's 9 month head size which came in at 68%. That brain's a growin'! For weight, Ruthie is doing great. She started at a mere 6lbs7oz and she is now 18lbs11oz. She's tripled her birth weight (okay, not counting in the ounces), and is smack dab in the middle at 50%. You go girl! Then, alas, there's Ruthie's height. If you refer back to the title of this blog, you'll have an idea of where I'm going. Ruthie measured in at exactly 27 inches. Strangely enough, that's almost half of mom's height, but for a 9 month old, it's only the 33rd percentile. Maybe mom's only in the 33rd percentile, too...! So, maybe she won't get the tall genes. We're okay with that!

By the way, Boudreaux's Butt Paste is a popular brand of diaper rash cream!

New Year's Resolution

Okay, I know we should have started this long ago but, hey, better late than never. Let's call it a New Year's resolution!

The purpose for this blog is to have a place where we can share smiles, laughs, and tears as our family faces each new day. And it is a place for those who are reading this to catch up on our life through words, pictures, and videos.

For now, I think the main focus of our blogs will be dedicated to our incredible daughter, Ruth Elizabeth Olson- aka Baby Ruth or, as most people refer to her, Ruthie. She is, obviously, the most amazing and fun piece of our lives!

If you've been unintentionally left out of the loop, Ruthie was born on April 4th, 2006, at 6:59pm. The whole birthing process was fairly quick. Mom worked a full day at school with nothing out of the ordinary occuring. Around 3:30, she had what would soon be determined to be a contraction. She checked into the hospital at 5:48pm and out came Ruthie one hour and eleven minutes later!

Hopefully, we will figure out the video thing soon. Until then, here are a couple of pictures to enjoy.


Here's Ruthie on her first day in this world.

And here's Ruthie now, almost 9 months later.