Dear Mom,

Well, so much for that New Year’s resolution. One single post in 2014! (Well, now two.) Pathetic! Let’s see if I can do any better in the new year. It’s funny how a certain date, and the finality of it, can make on so retro- (and intro-) spective. How was the year? Did we do our best? Did it live up to all our hopes and expectations and aspirations we had for it, at this time one year ago?

2014 sure had its ups and downs. Just a lot of milestones, which tend to be exhausting. Right around the date of that lonely last post was when I got pregnant with Milou, a speedy surprise after the years trying for Meret. A long winter, a newly mobile baby, house hunting, house buying, and a move. Then a new baby. Two babies in the house, the older one not even walking yet, proved itself to be a more challenging task than I had expected. Taking care of a newborn is scary; taking care of a newborn and a toddler is a whole new level of overwhelming. I feel like the year has been spent getting us where we’re going, and it’s been a tiring journey, but I am thankful for it.

What will 2015 bring? I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I hope it can bring some roots.

Goodbye, 2014.

Thank you, 2014, for our new baby.

I think I’m ready to see what 2015 has in store.

Love,

Ruth

Dear Mom,

I can’t believe it’s been since October since I posted last. Not that it doesn’t make sense, with the holiday season nearly taking me out each year, as well as the frequency of seeing you in person the last few months. Since I’m *not* dead, those are both good things!

This year seems to be going well in the Resolutions Department. Been exercising, working on non-work-related projects (one of which I actually finished! More on that to come…) and here we are, updating the blog. 2014 is kicking ass.

We would like to formally thank you for the new sweater. It fits perfectly! And the longer length is fine, as it’s nice to have a tunic-length when you’re wearing leggings. Then you don’t have to worry about panty lines. Thong diapers are the worst.

Love,

Ruth

Dear Mom,

Love,

Ruth

Dear Mom,

The day I made the new bib I was on a roll, and I made this reversible dress, too. I used some (seriously adorable) fabric I found at Joann’s for one side, and plywood print for the reverse for days she hangs out in Ron’s studio, which you can see in the second picture where the bottom of the dress is turning up.

Good lord, baby clothes slay me.

Love,

Ruth

Dear Mom,

I took a break from working on dog collars to start on my list of personal projects. I started with the quickest one to warm up my fingers and get me back in the swing of things: a flannel bandana bib for Meret. What instant gratification!

Before: (note Barfy McGee’s wet shirt. This happened the instant I took off her other bib. This photo shoot was very authentic, no dramatic reenactments necessary.)

Before, wearing one of the ridiculous hand-me-down bibs, one of the ones with horrible velcro that I can only wash with other horrible velcro bibs:

After, in her new flannel bandana bib:

After, showing me how she really feels:

It immediately got barfed on, and it did its job superbly! The wrinkles under her chin function quite well as liquid catchers, and I used the new plastic snaps you bought me (I figured it was better to practice on a little flannel before the more-complicated cloth diapers). Everything about this project, from it taking 15 minutes to its functionality, was AWESOME.

Love,

Ruth

Dear Mom,

Day before yesterday, Ron had taken the dogs for an 8-mile walk at Shelby Park, and Meret and I were at home with the inspector. Meret turned her head as I was burping her so that she could aim her barf right into my cleavage. And there was a lot of barf. After I sopped up the mess with the burp cloth, I held her away from me so I could prepare to put her down to go change my shirt. Imagine my amazement when I realized that she had succeeded in getting it all into the front of my bra–without a single drop on my shirt! Who knew a baby could be so gross and so talented?

Love,

Ruth

Dear Mom,

Sometimes when you ask for a smile, you get a Grumpy Cat impersonation.

Love,

Ruth

Dear Mom,

Today Ron called the baby, “Little M,” but I heard “Little Lamb.” Apparently you can take the Yankee out of the north, but eventually he’ll sound like a southerner.

Happy anniversary today to you and Dad. 48 years! That’s amazing, and inspirational. If you recycled past years’ cards to each other, that’s better than our effort to each other this year. Keep it up!

Love,

Ruth

Dear Mom,

We’re getting the band back together! No, wait, that’s not right. We’re getting the blog back together! Yeah, that’s it. I’ve been meaning to do this for the last few years, and there’s nothing like a new song written about an old blog to get me back on track. Plus, with the upcoming move back to The Slow Lane, and the addition of a new family member, it seems like the perfect time. Things might be slow, or short-n-sweet until I get settled at the new place, but here it is: the new and improved Dear Mom, Love Ruth.

Love, Ruth