9 months!

I can't believe it.  Ruby and Owen have been outside the womb longer than they were in it.  I am in awe of how much has changed in nine months.  They are so stinkin fun right now and we are loving every second!

The first five months seemed to pass so slowly...not in a bad way,  it was an experience like no other, just SO many new things to learn and get used to that it made time slow down.  There were times when I thought they would never roll over, let alone crawl or walk and they were definitely never going to babble, sleep through the night, or hold their own bottle!  And here we are, just nine months after their birth and there is not a day that goes by that I am not blown away about the little people they are becoming and the skills they have gained.  I wish I could document the last three months all in videos, because they are so animated and active these days that that seems like a better way to capture where we are at.  So, I will include some of those, as well as pictures...cause we have a million of those too. 

Owen

Weight- 19lbs 3oz. (30th percentile)

Height- 28 inches (50th percentile)

Well, the biggest new thing on his horizon since our last update is movement.  The little man can boogie! He can crawl like a champ- follows me around the house-finds me, even when I wish he would just stay somewhere and play so that I could get something done.  And, when he does find me, he constantly wants me (or whoever will oblige) to offer him a few fingers to pull up on and walk around the house with him.  He has a walker and he can crawl over to it, pull up on it, and walk around, but I think he thinks it slows him down too much.   Nothin cruises around the house as fast and corners as well as another human being.  The boy is no fool.  I just really hope he is walking soon, cause I am not sure how much more of this my back can take!    Let's see...he is also babbling.  He loves to say "ma" and "ba" and to scream.  He finds lots of things funny these days including peekaboo, bugs, especially spiders, and dancing.  Owen loves to dance to the "ABC" song too.  Really funny.  Owen can often be caught trying to grab his sister and give her kisses (I know it LOOKS like he is trying to bite her...but I am sure they are meant to be kisses).  They are pretty cute together these days- playing together more and more.  Owen and Ruby also love to swing...and go really high.  They squeal with delight.  Love it.  And, he is waving and pointing- a real crowd pleaser. :)

This is a t-shirt that Chip wore as a kid.  Then, his Curious George wore it...until we put it in the wash and passed it down to Owen.  He hopes to visit Cancun someday for sure.

Ruby
Weight- 21 pounds (80th percentile)
Height- 28.25 inches (75th percentile)

Ruby and Owen were passed down a bunch of retro clothes from my side of the family.  They are in amazingly good shape and very cute...well, some more than others.  Some Mindy and Gus wore and some is Tina's I think.  At any rate, we have been dressing them up in them, taking a picture and usually then, before we ruin anything, we put it in a pile to pass on to....maybe Ruby and Owen's kids!

Ruby is also making her way into the world of independent movement.  She rocks up on her knees a lot and can army crawl forward to get something she wants.  She also scoots sitting up on the wood floor to get over to things.  I am always surprised about where I leave her and then where she ends up...and what she has managed to get a  hold of, by the time I get back.  She is just a mellow, happy kid who, in general, is pretty entertained to watch her brother run around the house and is not all that interested in chasing after things right now.  She says all kinds of things like, "Da" (her favorite), "La", "Yeah", and I swear, she occasionally says "All Done" (this is the first sign we have been working on- apparently she prefers to just say it).  Ruby also likes to clap and put things over her face, like a blanket or her wash cloth, and play peekaboo with whomever will watch her.  SO stinkin cute.  Ruby also likes to dance to the "ABC" song- not sure what it is about that tune- only she dances with her head for now, shaking it back and forth...sort of Stevie Wonderish. She laughs often too and shows her four big teeth that are right up front.
If you haven't guessed already, Ruby loves to eat.  Actually, so does Owen.  They eat more or less the same amount each day give or take a few ounces of formula.  It is amazing their different shapes.  Owen burns more of his calories now with all of his movement, but he has been a thinner build all along.  And, it looks like Ruby is shaping up to be tall like some of the Mulliken and DuRoss gals.  75th and 80th percentile!  Never would have guessed that could come out of little ol' me.  Fun stuff.  She is also pointing and occasionally waving and she loves arching her back to play "upside down Ruby".

Both...

are sleeping pretty well these days.  They sleep for almost 12 hours.  Ruby sleeps with almost no interruptions unless she is teething.  Owen still gets a few binkie pops throughout the night, but nothin compared to previously.  No one eats at night anymore, and for the most part, mom is starting to feel caught up on sleep.  Yahoo for that!   Their personalities continue to develop as time goes on.  Owen seems to be the social butterfly- quite easy going when in the arms of friends, smiling and engaging with visitors when given the opportunity.  Ruby, right now, is the cautious one.  At home she is all smiles and, really, the more mellow, easy going baby. However, once in a more social situation, she tends to save her smiles and quietly observes everything around her.  Or, she cries to be in mom or dad's arms.  I think that part is just a stage.

Here is one video, and more will be added shortly.  Just want to get this posted before they are 10 months old!