I’m learning that being a parent of an almost toddler is completely different from being a parent of a newborn. Ruby is hilarious right now. She is so bright and inquisitive, she absolutely loves to play. In the past week she has taken huge strides in learning how to play independently, which has given me just another piece of my independence back. She’s sleeping better and eating well–life is pretty wonderful where she is concerned. As I enter each new phase of parenthood, I continue to learn new lessons along the way. Right now I’m having a love / hate relationship with one particular thing: silence. For months on end that…