Video! Ruby Meets the Nguyens

Here's a little video mix of Ruby's visit of Grandma and Grandpa Nguyen in Oklahoma City a couple weeks ago, capped with a little message from Grandma Nguyen ('you exercise!').



Music courtesy (without permission) of The Apples in Stereo.

Why Ruby?

It could have been Stella, Butch or Nico. But the name -- which seems so perfectly suited by now -- was Ruby. Mai and I had talked a bit about names for the months before her birth, then made a 10-second call in the recovery room on January 20. We had wanted something that's easy to spell (so, ie, we weren't following the celebs' trend-setting decisions for names no one knows or can spell), we didn't want names that are TOO popular (Ruby is 87th in NYC, and out of the Top 100 across the US), or too tricky to pronounce (Lena could be 'LAYNA' or 'LINA'), and hopefully it'd be a name that carries a faint 19th-century, 'Little House on the Prairie' quality.

Just not Gertrude.

We didn't go with Ruby because of any rocks. Rubies -- the gemstones chiefly found in many parts of Asia (including Vietnam) and Africa -- are typically associated with being red, but can also be pinkish or purplish. The Burmese, which mine the world's best (some argue), describe the color as 'pigeon's blood.' The next time we back up over a pigeon in Brooklyn, we'll try to forward a sample.

That's interesting but NOT the reason we went with Ruby, and now that she's over five weeks old, it's time to spill the beans: we named Ruby after a bedbug-finding beagle, whose pal Pasha helps too, in New York. See Ruby the beagle's story in The New York Times here.

Hanging with Olive

BFF!
This weekend, friends Giao, Travis and eight-monther Olive came over for some play time -- and size comparisons. They got along great. Olive crawled over to Ruby frequently, sometimes palming her forehead, and Ruby noted the all-fours mode of transport.

Ruby Returns to The Bear Costume

With far more success than during her 100-hour birthday party, Ruby dressed up as a bear for a quick Red Hook sojourn for some grocery shopping. She behaved well, but the parents chickened out and took turns for shopping (Robert got the cereal, coffee, bread, carrot juice, sandwich gear; then Mai picked up the coconut water, vegetables, salmon, nuts) while letting Ruby nap in the car.

We might return to The Bear for the upcoming 1000-hour birthday party.

Ruby is 1 (month)

Hard to believe it's been a month. Or was that big day a few days ago? Some 'baby contingents' vehemently insist that a month is defined by four weeks, others judge by the calendar only. We're going with the calendar. Otherwise we'd have a hard time explaining why Ruby turns 14 months old on her first birthday, January 20, 2010.

Considering how she reacted to her 100-hour birthday a few weeks go, we skipped the party this time. But did have her try on mittens, SOME REMARKABLE MITTENS, along with a burp bib. She didn't complain.

By the way, the photo isn't quite as sad as it appears -- her bib does say 'FUN DAY.' It was taken right after a four-ounce feeding. Such an intake of milk is something akin to two bottles of whiskey for an ol' codger. She flops around, boneless-chicken-farm-style.

Some Ruby Statistics

Ruby had her third doctor's appointment today. They almost gave her a second Hepatitis B shot, when I said 'didn't she already have that one?' (She did, a few weeks back.)

Rubilo came in at nine pounds, over two pounds of extra double chins and thigh flab since her birthday a month ago. She's extended her frame an extra inch too (now 21.5 inches tall), though it's hard to get her frog legs to straighten out much.

She kinda likes the battery-operated swing now.

Rubashka, meanwhile, is developing a more steady routine of three-hour sleeps interjected with some tears, some milk and some wide-eyed stares of things like ceilings, lights and parents' faces. We think she may be into geometry.

She's shown no interest in stuffed animals, AC/DC, sports or tattoos yet.

Four-Week Birthday Glamour Shots

Ruby Befriends a Tulsa Legend

It's embarrassing to confess this, particularly for Mai, but we went for lunch with Ruby today, Tuesday, at Tulsa's most popular location of, can you guess?, Ruby Tuesday's. Brian -- the chipper waiter -- was delighted to learn of the synchronicity implicit from the slumbering girl in the car seat. But we got no discounts, even after we noted that we were the chain's owners and had named her 'for branding'. The Valentine's Day gift card from Aunt Susan was chipperly accepted (thanks Susan).

We followed with a CRUCIAL visit on the trip: a look at Tulsa's legendary Golden Driller.

In other news, Ruby seems heavier to our arms in recent days, and we think the two pounds she's gained in the last three weeks, one of them may have come on Tulsa Time. Also, Ruby's showing a lot more awareness -- connecting voices with people, and studying the hanging lion from her 'bouncey chair' that grandma Reid got her.

Oklahoma Days

Ruby celebrated Valentine's Day (got a hat) and met up with Uncle David, Aunt Jane, Cathy, Jason, Taylor and Grant from Ponca City, then went for curry at India Palace in Tulsa and met Mr Guldeep.

United: Cuz'n Force! (Then a Pizza Party)

Ruby's first full day in Oklahoma ended last night with a visit by her cousins Ethan and Abbey, uncle Kenny and Aunt Susan, beginning with tears and ending with some winks. Her second full day in Oklahoma -- today, the day Kevin Durant of the OKC Thunder scored 46 points in the Rookie/Sophomore NBA All-Star game -- included a long nap with a napping grammy Nguyen, a drop-by of pals Jennifer, Jim and Lilian and capped with a pizza party with Uncle Kenny and pals Suzy and Wampus. Generally behavior for the day gets a nine out of 10. She took a full bottle with non-choking gusto -- a real improvement from her first attempts.

Meeting the Family

Ruby took to trans-continental travel like a pro. Sleeping on the one-hour commute to the Newark airport, and the one hour to get from the airport 200 yards away to the parking lot, tearing up a bit as we went through the security check, then sleeping most of the way on the nearly four-hour direct flight to Tulsa International.

More importantly were Ruby's whirlwind of introductions: with grammy Reid at Tulsa International Airport last night, Aunt Susan in OKC earlier today, and grammy and grampy Nguyen in OKC this afternoon. All went well until Ruby debuted an undiapered, open-air tinkle on the Nguyen's floor during a changing. No feelings were hurt.