1+1=2..... or does it?

katie and her handsome soon to be 1(!) year old son, Arlo

Auntie Ceeeeeej (Gigi's mommy)

Hazel, who just moved here with her wonderful family to Chapel Hill from Baltimore

Ryann, just back from her month long trip to Africa - Ruby now has the coolest I heart South Africa t-shirt

here's some notes about the latest in the Monast household:

• Ruby has a raging case of baby acne - we did not experience this with Luci - Luci decided to bypass 'normal' skin conditions and go straight to that horrible staph scalded skin syndrome where all of her skin peeled off - so we are extremely grateful for baby acne - though it does mean that there's a lack of close-up photos of the babe
• We are slowly adapting to Ruby's 3-4 hour days - essentially she eats, is alert for a short time and then goes to sleep and repeat.... and repeat.... makes no difference whether it's day or night, this is the way it is for now
• Luci continues to want to help with all things Ruby - she also constantly wants to hug and kiss 'she'. when talking about the baby, she refers to it as her baby. at the same time she has exhibited some classic jealousy behavior - telling me that Ruby does not need to eat when she does, asking me to hold her when i'm holding Ruby and waking up at odd hours of the night and asking me to come sleep with her - she is definitely looking for validation for her place in the family
  
• Having 1 kid comes with a certain amount of hard work and transitions (e.g. to a sleepless lifestyle) - you'd assume that the 2nd kid would double this effort, but instead there's that 'x' factor - the interaction/dynamic between the kids that seems to create an exponential increase in the amount of patience, love, and care required, so it's more like 1 + 1 + x > 2; i have no idea how people with more than 2 kids survive
  
• We are so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends who have helped make this chaotic time in our lives easier - either by coming by to visit (the ones i remembered to photograph pictured above), bringing us food (and margaritas!), cooking us dinner, sending ruby and/or luci little cards and presents and just generally providing support - it really does take a village to raise a child and i love our little village