Pig Tails, Cheese Crackers, and Daddy

This smile just is Ruthie---I thinks its the eyebrows. That girl has some enthusiasm!

I love this picture. I am fascinated lately with how she gets things into her mouth. Mostly she sticks the whole fist in, and hopes the food stays there while she pulls the fist back out. Haahaa.

I've never liked dirty-face-with-food-all-over-it baby pictures. I think the fact that her mouth is full of cheese is adorable, but that might just be-and probably is-because I am her mother.

Ruthie wears mostly hand-me-downs(she has a cousin almost exactly one year older that was somewhat of a surprise, so we get all her clothes). Unfortunately, her cousins were a size bigger in their bottoms than she happens to be now. But isn't this the CUTEST outfit? It is my favorite- I love, love, LOVE it!!! We'll just keep putting size 18 mo shorts on...even though she wears size 9 mo. Still adorable.

Sweetest picture EVER.

I took this picture before work today. Today was one of those wonderful mornings where your baby wakes up with the absolute SWEETEST coos and smiles and hugs and warm, slobbery kisses. And it was cut MUCH too short by my having to leave for work. Some days, going to work is MUCH MUCH harder than other days. Who wants to leave a baby that smiles every time you look at her??? So, I had Sterling bring her to visit me for lunch, and she was the hit of the office. Of course, the standard, "she has RED hair, not just red, but REALLY red!" and then, "Your baby is absolutely beautiful." I thought it would help. It didn't. Not at all. Oh how I wish I could stay at home! Don't worry baby girl, in a few more months (about 12 to be exact) daddy will be applying to medical schools and we will be finding out where we are moving and we'll be taking out LOADS of student loans and so, we'll take out the few thousand measly more that I would make working two days a week and I will STAY HOME with you! AH! I cannot wait. (Who thought education was a good idea, anyway? Oh. Yeah. Thank you, father, for encouraging(?) me to get a good education, even for telling me that I'd need it to put my husband through school. You were exactly right. Although, I did just get a fortune cookie fortune that read 'You will spend many years in comfort and material wealth.' Ahhh...medical school, here we come! )