Ruby Talks (Kinda)

Ruby's noticed all the talking going on. Michelle regularly chats with her, and she's made new friends with the two girls next door, May and Nora (May even renamed a doll 'Ruby' and told her mom Ellen, 'you need to be quiet, she's two months old and needs to nap.')

Ruby recounts some of the episodes (along with a bit of banter about her two shots at her three-month check-up today), here:

It's Michelle!

This week's been big. Michelle Branch joined up for Ruby time, as our new full-time nanny. Ruby and Michelle are getting along great -- lots of funny noises (from Ruby) going around -- and we've been loving hanging out with her this week before we both go back to work full time, more or less, next week. The sudden freedom prompted us parents to undertake some true decadence: seeing a movie. We went today to see I Love You Man -- featuring Ruby's favorite group Rush -- and spent a couple hours combing the aisles at IKEA. "A nice little day," to paraphrase Will Ferrell in Old School.

This week we also upgraded the growing kid's sleeping space from the basket to a big crib, nicknamed 'Fort Sedgwick.' Ruby tends to like it so she can sprawl out -- arms to the side -- and stare at the weird graphics and mice on her new mobile.

Learning to Sleep

With Mai about to need work-time type sleep, we did some 'sleep training' with Ruby the past few days. Rented a super house -- full wall of windows looking over hills and a lake -- and let her soothe herself to sleep. This is not easy to do, but Ruby showed progress very quickly. Sometimes it takes two hours of crying to get oneself to sleep, she needed 30 on the first night. And that's fallen to, most times, two to four minutes. We're proud.

Meanwhile we drove around the area along the Delaware River -- gorgeous area. At a diner in Narrowsburg, Dorene the waitress carried her around on a tour of the place. We walked across the bridge -- in eagle country -- to Pennsylvania, and tribute grandma Reid's birthplace, and take some photos of Ruby in her fourth state (after NY, NJ and Oklahoma).

On the way back we stopped off on a New Jersey road. A cop came by and asked what was wrong, just as Ruby was mid-way through a particularly dirty diaper changing. He didn't stick around long.

Ruby Hits Sesame Street

Mai is a bit over a week away her return to work, and last week sashayed into Sesame Street offices with a strollerful of Ruby. This did not go unnoticed.

Easter Town

Ruby's celebrating spring with something we haven't seen in a couple weeks: wake-ups at 3am. Meanwhile she went all-out pink for Easter today, courtesy of some grammy Reid gifts. And another one arrived today, including a duck (Greg), a book, some M&Ms and a 'Easter dog' card. Perhaps all the activity -- and dress ups -- will mean a full night's rest?

Ruby Blanket

Mai's knitting group has given Ruby a super blanket -- one knitted by four knitting friends Tatiana, Maxine, Betty, Seeta and Madeline, who each knitted pieces of it around the globe. Portions of it were worked on in Amsterdam, Ghana, Kenya AND Brooklyn. Ruby thanks you!

Hanging with Daisy

Daisy -- the stuffed bear -- has been watching Ruby for weeks. Sitting on the edge of the changing station, where Ruby tends to be happiest, Daisy has earned no reaction. Until today.

Ruby Falls (A Different Ruby)

We're busy interviewing nannies this week (hard choice -- many great candidates), not a good time to have a black eye. And I have one. Playing basketball last week, I got a head-butt in the face 30 seconds before the last of seven games ended. It swelled up immediately, a red/black smear dipping below my left eye. Leary looks on the subway.

Meanwhile, Tennessee's RUBY FALLS -- home to a 145-foot waterfall that's found 1120 feet below the ground -- has become the first US site to join the Green Globe/Green Certificates Program, which I hear is a good thing for preserving natural places. It's named for the discoverer's wife.

Maybe we have to visit someday.

Ruby Is Showing Off

It's slightly painful to admit, but Ruby's starting to show off a little. She's becoming more and more aware of things -- like parents -- and yesterday, after a sudden burst of babbling, quickly looked to see our reaction. That's showing off by any book.

We're starting to meet with prospective nannies as Mai's return to the workplace is getting nearer and nearer. One came by the other day -- very nice, a vet of a few decades with kids -- who said, 'So alert! She's going to be an active one.' Uh oh.

Meanwhile, the cheeks are chubby: