the good always outweighs the not-so-good...

The Not-So-Good:

  As Ruby is becoming more alert and aware, she is wearing herself out more and transitioning to sleep has been harder.  Our consistent 'sleeping through the night' is out the window for now.  We are hoping it is just a growth spurt... as she has gotten up to eat at 2am the past few nights.  The easy routine we have always had to get her to sleep is now not so easy (last night there were many trips back up the stairs to put the passefier back in and rub her tummy), but these parents don't give up easy.  We purchased a new sound machine to help provide white noise for Ruby throughout the night (previously we were using radio static, but the recent thunderstorms have thrown a wrench in that!) and we have started throwing a bath into the bedtime routine...something to help settle her down for the night.  So cross your fingers for us, I just put her down and so far the bath/calming ocean waves have Ruby snoozing with no trips back into her room!  Hooray!

  The Good:

  Ruby has had a few giggles in the past week, but tonight we found her tickle spot!  Same as her mama, Ruby is ticklish in her armpits.  We got her to laugh over and over tickling her there.  Her laugh is funny, lower pitched than I had imagined!  I wish we could have videoed it to share with you, as I would watch it over and over.  Maybe sometime...  Anyway, Ruby also learned to splash in the bathtub tonight.  She has been trying to figure this out for a while and has definitely splashed before, but I think tonight was the first night she actually new she was doing it.  She would pull her feet up out of the water, wait a minute, and then go crazy - of course getting a big reaction from Mom and Dad.

  Tonight we go to bed exhausted (lacking sleep not only because of Miss Ruby, but because of a surprise visit from my brother and a basement full of water in the middle of the night), but after dinner with friends and a night of baby giggles and bathtime splashing, how can't you be happy?!

  The pictures are some of the many faces of Ruby... you can say she looks like Mom or Dad or Papa  or that she has red or brown or blonde hair.  She's always a-changing!