Oh baby mine

Aunt Laurie and Ruby

Today, we went to check out a Parents' Morning Out program. This program comes highly recommended and lo and behold, they had one spot available for one morning a week. Did we want it?

Did we want it? Four precious hours to myself, to run, to read, to (gasp) sleep...oh, the giddyness.

So we went, and really, it was perfect.

The baby room was adorable, the babies happy and well cared for. The women there were grandmotherly. One had even been a midwife for twenty years in India! They loved the babies and the babies loved them.

You held my hand for maybe 10 seconds. Then you were off, playing and trying to give toys to the other babies.

I snuck out, into the hall and watched through the window. You played and played.

Then it was time to sign you up. Yes!, I said. Through the lump in my throat. Lump? What's this about?

I know, completely know, that mamas need breaks and they need support. I believe in the village! I'm not trying to be Super Mom or a martyr. But I couldn't do it. I'm not ready.

Back on the waiting list for us. Maybe in the fall I will be ready for my one morning a week.

Until then, we'll spend them outside, in our pajamas.

Monkeys

Opa and Ruby, speaking each other's language.

Ruby's Birthday, Part III

(This is the last part of the letter. First part is two posts down.)

This is you, cautiously, cautiously, eying your cupcake. This is your first ever sugar. People act like that's crazy, but I act like it's awesome.

You poked at it for a solid twenty minutes, then licked it and made sour faces. Wouldn't have been great if we'd gotten pictures of that?

Again, let's put all our hopes on Opa.

The party broke up shortly after cake and icecream, as they tend to do.

After party Oma-hug.

Trike from Uncle Eric and Aunty Patty.

Letting out some post-party rage.

I have so much more to say to you about how interesting and smart and hilarious you are as a one year old, and what you mean to us, and all of THAT, but I think I'll slip it into a private love letter from Mama to baby.



love love love you,

Mama

Ruby's Birthday, Part II

Here you are, shyly rounding the corner in your new bathing suit. Now we begin the swimming portion of the parTAY.

Here you are in the pool. I believe this is just before you dunked your face in and started drinking. You're coming a little undone, it seems, but isn't that a sign of all good parties?

The hat, it is gone. Hopefully spraying your head with all that chemically sunscreen won't cause a brain tumor. Yes, I really think these things.

And swinging! Opa and Oma gave you this swing for your birthday. You and all the other babies loved it.

(More up above, in part III)

Ruby's Birthday, Part I

(written in three parts because I can only post 4 pictures at a time through Picasa. LAME.)

Dear Ruby,

You are one year old. A whole year. When I think back to what we were doing a year ago, I can't believe we're the same people. Or that there was ever a time when we were without you.

We decided throw a party in honor of you. Here are some of our party decorations.

Mama made the above. I cannot tell a lie, I saw a picture of something similar on the internets. But said picture did not spend hours cutting and pasting and carefully choosing paper and ribbon. That was all me.

Then we put out flowers and tablecloths and pretty cake stands, cupcakes with strawberry buttercream, homemade mac n cheese, salads, strawberries...it took a village to put it all together. I'm not bragging when I say it was absolutely delicious slash gorgeous, either.

Then we stopped taking pictures for a while, because that's how we are. But Opa has a bunch more, so all is not lost.

Here you are, toward the back, with some of our guests. When the first baby arrived, you had a look on your face like, seriously? I get to have one of these IN MY HOUSE? You were beyond thrilled.

Here you are, crowding around the littlest and therefore weakest of the babies. You were nothing but sweet with her, though.

There were 27 people in all, including your Aunt Patty, Oma and Opa. There were five babies including you, and two bigger kids. I worried such a big group of people would overwhelm you, but not my girl. You had the best time.

(continued in Part II, just above this post.)