TOYS AND A BIG THANKS!

Ruth has really been into toys lately but she has a hard time playing with them because she can't quite sit up on her own. I jerry-rigged this play stand for her from a shelf that we have. This way her toys can hang down at her while she's laying on her back. She seems to like it a lot. I really like that the shelf is on top so she can look up and see her toy that flashes lights to the rhythm of classical music. YAY!

I now must thank Dani and Kamille for informing me that 30 minute naps were not normal. Ruth is now taking two 2+ hour naps a day...HALLELUIA! Now I have time to do the dishes, laundry and read without feeling like a bad mom for neglecting my child who just wants to play. THANK YOU!

We also had a fun outing this last weekend. We went to Chipotle for lunch...DELICIOUS...and then went to a chair outlet store and then to the Home and Garden show at the expo center. It was pretty much for the hippies of Portland but we had fun looking at the organic baby clothes and new designs for electric cars.

Big Girl

I'm just shocked how pretty my girl is. We both miss Brad a lot. We're glad that we are half way done with being apart. It's been really nice to have family close by so I don't feel so alone. My ward has also been super great. Sunday during church a lady asked if Ruth and I wanted to go over to their house for dinner. I told her I didn't have a car and so she sent her son to pick me up. I spent 3 hours with their big family laughing, eating and watching the Amazing Race. And it seems that everyone in the ward is that friendly. That makes it much easier and more homey to feel like I already have friends in this new place. Since we don't have a tv, but do have the internet Hulu.com has become my favorite new thing. I've been watching the most recent season of Hell's Kitchen.

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Ruth is now wearing 6-9 month clothes even though she's barely 4 months old. This is her sporting her purple sweat suit. She was feeling pretty gangster that day.

I am once again connected to the world wide web. I have missed you for the last week as we traveled to Oregon, unpacked, met my new boss and several strange tenants, gotten sick, cured diaper rash and begun feeding solid foods. Ruth and I are completely settled except for 2 boxes of books that we have no shelf room for! Today my relief society president came over to visit and is totally amazing. And I just got a call from another young mom in the ward, Eliza, who is coming over tomorrow to visit! Yay for friendly people. In a few hours my older brother will be here to deliver my new washer and dryer (well I bought them used and refurbished, but they're new to me)! Have I mentioned that I once again have the internet...ha ha ha. Living for a week without it has been hard! Especially since my stupid phone keeps dying for no reason...no dead zones, HA, try my apartment Verizon!

So here is a picture of our living room. The room in the back with the filing cabinet and baby swing will soon have our dining room table and to the right of that room is our kitchen.

This is our office. It still looks cluttered in this picture. And it's a lot bigger than it looks in this picture. to the left of the desk is a huge closet and baby's bed.


So the adventures of solid food eating have begun. Yesterday was a mess, it was like the scene in Beauty and the Beast where the Beast picks up his bowl of porridge and scarfs it down and has food all over his face and slopped it on the table. Today was much improved, she learned very quickly that she doesn't get food if she puts her hands in her mouth. And I could really tell that she likes the rice cereal because every time I took the spoon away she would whine until I brought it back and she would slurp it all down.

Here is a video of another thing Ruth has started doing since moving to Oregon.



Oh! In other really exciting baby news, yesterday Ruth took a 3 hour nap! YES! And then she went to bed at 9 pm and slept until 4, do the math that is 7 blissful hours of uninterrupted sleep...because yes I also went to bed as soon as she did. After she ate she slept until 7:30. I almost feel like a normal person again. And I have time to do things around the house...oh yeah, and my job!

Letters to God

I thought these were good.

A Conversation With Oregon

Me: That's what I said, this weekend; we're getting the moving truck on Wednesday, and driving out Friday the 13th...I just realized it would be FRIDAY THE 13TH! But I don't think that's a bad omen ;)
Oregon: Wow, I can't wait to see you? But what about Brad finishing school?
Me: Well, he's just driving the moving truck out and then he's taking the car back to Utah to finish up school. That stinks. But this way he'll be able to really focus on school, finish up, and by the time he's done we're hoping he'll be able to come out and have a job.
Oregon: So where are you going to stay until Brad comes out?
Me: Well, the apartment managing job I got gives us free rent in a 2 bedroom apartment with...A DISHWASHER! For the first time in 3 years we'll have a dish washer, I can't wait. The first thing I'm going to get is one of those little plastic bins to wash binkis and bottles in!!! The other funny thing is that I told my friend Katy, whose parents live in Tigard, and she said we'll be in her parent's ward. We'll also be really close to the temple and to Joe, Meg and Brynn. Well, here's a pic of baby Ruth so you'll recognize her.

A Family of Hobbits and a Family of Elves

I found a site where you can generate you hobbit name and your elvish name. Here are ours:

Hobbit:
Katie - Tigerlily Boffin of Whitfurrows
Brad - Togo Boffin of Whitfurrows
Ruth - Esmereldat Boffin of Whitfurrows

Elvish:
Katie - Tári Mithrandír
Brad -Mablung Mithrandír
Ruth - Andúnë Mithrandír

If you want to know your own, go to http://www.chriswetherell.com/hobbit/

Nap Time! Finally

(This picture was taken at the risk of waking the baby and to provide proof of baby's napping ...and of course she DID wake up the second the flash went off.)

I have a napper! After 3 1/2 months she finally will lay down for a nap; I cannot express my elation! She sleeps just over an hour in the late morning (usually 11) and then takes two or three 30 minute naps in the afternoon/evening. She still doesn't go to bed until 10ish, but hey 10 beats 4 am any day of the week.

She has also cultivated her slobbering and grasping. I feel worried that she might be teething or "pre-teething" if that's real because she has started to drool on a constant basis...tons of sticky spit. She also is very interested in gnarling on my knuckles. I say gnarling because she does not just suck on them she chews and bites, I would even say attacks my knuckles. Brad pulled down her toys this week and she also went to town on them. I was so excited that she could hold onto the toys. And even more excited once she figured out how to maneuver them into her mouth. It was hilarious because at first she tried getting her fist in her mouth while holding the toy...which wasn't working. But after a few minutes she realized can get just the toy into her mouth; what a smart girl.


In other news I've started running. I was looking at myself yesterday and recognized my face but not my body. I had been exercising before I took my trip to Oregon, but vacation got me out of the habit. And now I'm back on track (more than a month later). Today was a total of 26 blocks, most of it was speed walking but you have to start somewhere. Anyways, I'm feeling good and will hopefully be able to report some weight loss in the next couple months.