Ruth at 5 months

I know she is almost 6 mo - but I'm trying to not think about it.

Right now - Ruth loves grabbing things.  She works so hard to get things.  She has flipped over a couple times from belly to back, but is content usually to just hang out on her belly.  Or scream until someone picks her up if she is tired of that.  She has also learned it is super easy to pull the blanket towards you to get the toys...instead of you know...reaching.

She has not flipped the other way, but has come really close.  

She loves smiling - and loves to smile at people.

I think that her siblings are her absolute favorite people.

She wouldn't leave the bear alone so I could get a classic "next to" picture...LOL
This was the best I could do.

Jovial! (I love this shot!)

Sassy!

Focus!  (This was the first time in her exersaucer!)

And of course - everything goes straight to the mouth!

She still sucks her thumb on occasion, but will also take a pacifier.  I find this fascinating and a classic blend of the other two (Rebekah the thumb sucker and Peter the pacifier kid!). 

Ruth has everyone wrapped around her pinky.  Just recently, when she realized everyone was leaving with her laying on the bed (William was still in there, but his attention was not focused on her) she cried out.  We ALL went running back in to see what happened...and she was then HAPPY as a CLAM!

She loves to laugh and sometimes will laugh at you - even though you are just standing there.  If baby giggles weren't so darn cute, it would probably give me a complex!!

She is sleeping OK.  She is getting a little better at co-sleeping, which is a good thing.  Co-sleeping is this working Mama's coping mechanism!  Previously she'd wake up me up after an hour or so - wanting to go back to her crib.  That doubled the night wakings for me!  Yikes!  So I think with just her - I get up 2-3 times now.  Peter goes in spurts between coming in our room at night and staying in bed all night.  Rebekah does a pretty good job (usually) at staying in bed and just crawling into our bed in the wee hours of the  morning (like 6:00 AM usually).

I am finally feeling like I have a handle on things.  I have found leaving work on time and rushing hope to clean house real fast does wonders for my weekend mood.  It takes me about an hour to get the house clean.  I pick up the kids and TADA - I start off my weekend with everything I need done...done!  Which is WONDERFUL!  Frees me up so much.

And laundry has been mostly caught up the past couple weeks.  (Ruth's is a little behind b/c I was out of shout...a requirement for her clothes! LOL)  This is a major accomplishment for me.