The house is quiet as I try to do some work related research this afternoon. As I read, my eyes wander to the sleeping bundle visible in the adjoining window. She is curled into a tiny ball; a blanket pulled around her and is sleeping soundly. Her tiny back rises and falls fractionally with each breath and occasional snuffly baby noises can be heard through the monitor.

Her first birthday was a wonderful time. Thank you to everyone who visited over that weekend, we were overwhelmed by everyone's kindness. Ruby herself seemed to revel in the attention and loved having a house full of friends and family. Nick and I had a great time making her duck birthday cake after the cake mould we ordered failed to arrive. We were very proud when she looked at it, pointed and exclaimed 'duck!' We will have a lot to live up to next year... let's hope that she does not develop a love of something more complicated before her next birthday!

I have been watching her toddling around the house all day and I am starting to accept that she is now a 'toddler' not a 'baby' anymore. She took her first tentative steps just a week before her birthday and here she is not four weeks later, dashing around, almost running at times. She is confident and brave and again, I find myself watching on in admiration. She toddles across the room, bends down and picks things up, then heads on her way again, smiling or laughing as she goes. She is always so very busy. It is no wonder she sleeps so soundly.

Her favourite pastime is emptying or rearranging containers full of toys at the moment. She studies the contents hard, her little brow furrowing in concentration and she removes some or all of the contents, before she looks again and decides whether it is now as it should be. Sometimes more are removed; sometimes pieces are swapped or added before she finally gives a small nod of her head and a smile and moves on to her next challenge. If the bricks are all in her walker, then at least one must be removed and placed on the floor. The shape sorter must be at least one brick light and the bookshelf must be mostly empty. It is a very exact science and incorrect arrangements are not tolerated! I would love to know what her system is. Why is the moose ok in the bucket some days and the penguin not?

She is stirring and so I had better be there to give her warm awakening cuddles. I had better wake her daddy up too. Peace and quiet never lasts long in this house... but I wouldn't have it any other way.