Ruthie is Thirteen Months Old

This past month, it seemed like Ruthie changed drastically!  She's starting to communicate more, play more games, and is just generally even more fun.  Ruthie is a delight to all of us, and I feel like she has such a rich, delightful little life.  Oh, to be as adored as our Roo is!

At thirteen months, Ruthie is...

• still sleeping really well.  With few exceptions, she sleeps for about twelve hours at night.  She is also still taking two naps, with a shorter (45 minute) morning nap and a longer (2 hour) afternoon nap.  I thought it would be wise to try and skip her morning nap the other day, and that proved to be a really poor decision.  This sweet little needs her sleep!
• pretty much off the bottles, and completely off formula.  Ruthie has decided she will tolerate milk, although she's pretty finicky about it.  Thankfully, she is my third-born and I am incapable of obsessing over this.  She occasionally will take a bottle at bedtime, but she appears to be way more indifferent about the bottle than I am.  She prefers to drink water out of a cup.
• still holding strong with three teeth.  There may be a fourth in there, but woe to the Mommy who sticks her finger in that mouth.
• sure that she can do anything her big sisters can do.  Roo loves to run, climb, and keep up with her siblings.  She can make it to the top of the "stairs" at Chick-fil-A, and I've found her sitting on top of the picnic table on more than one occasion. 
• talking some, although most of it is unidentifiable.  I've heard "all done", "Dada", "banana", and probably some other sweet little words on occasion.  She definitely is making more attempts to communicate.  Mousie and her pacifier are both "nay-nay", and she will shake her head "no" to indicate that she does not want something.
• now really into books.  She'll bring us the book she wants to read, and she'll usually read a few at a sitting.  She loves to kiss puppies in books, and her favorites are still the ones with "real" pictures.  
• delighted to play in the dirt.  Tasting adds to the experience.
• always in the middle of the action. 
• literally crashing when she begins to crash in the late afternoon.  Especially if her naps have been off, Ruthie will quite literally run herself into the dishwasher or washing machine in a frustrated little tizzy.  Bless her little heart.
• delighted to carry things in bowls or bags.  One of her favorite kitchen toys is a colander and some play food, and if one of her sisters will relinquish a purse, Roo will carry it with pride.
• also delighted to wake her sisters up.  She LOVES going to get her sisters up from naps, and has been known to crash through the door unassisted if she thinks Mommy is waiting too long to wake them up.

We do love our happy little Mouse!  Happy Thirteen Months, Roo!