Merry Christmas

...and Happy New Year! Ruby's first Christmas was spent in New Jersey and Philadelphia with doting relatives on both sides--which meant many hands to hold while climbing up and, heart-stoppingly, down stairs, and several dogs to play ball with, feed, and converse with ("woo-woo-woo"). Ruby has at least 20 words now many starting with "b": ball, banana, blueberry, bellybutton, baby, bye-bye; cheese; kids; hi; airplane; up; mama; dada.... She also has a few signs ("more," "nursing," "shoes") and a few quasi-words like ne-ne (also for nursing). And she started using "mama" for her grandma too, much to grandma's delight. The most amazing vocabulary word though is her laugh: more than an occasional giggle and deep from her belly, a real kid's laugh. Her laugh reminds us just how full a person this child is already.

Ruby's Birthday

Ruby's first birthday warranted many celebrations--one at Kathy's day care, with blueberry muffin "cupcakes," and one with Grandma and Christopher with carrot cake. The carrot cake was not popular, and sometimes the wrapping paper was more fun than the gifts, but we're sure goal-orientation will come soon enough for this determined little creature--and in the meantime her happiness is what counts.

Splash

Four days before Ruby's birthday our dear old cat Splash died just shy of 18 years old. He was a snuggly, affectionate cat particularly beloved of Madeleine, who has been lonely without him--and so have we.