Ruth Ann at 7 weeks

7 weeks old, can you believe it? It's amazing how much she continues to change...she seems to be growing up right before our eyes. I swear she looks bigger every time I pick her up from her nap. Our major objective at Ruth Ann's 7 weeks of life is to establish a feeding and sleeping schedule. I'm doing my best to follow Baby Wise and she's a great night time sleeper, but day time naps are not her strength. Oh how I miss those early weeks when she would do nothing but eat and sleep peacefully. Everyone kept telling me she would wake up at 6 weeks and boy is she awake. She typically only naps for about 45 minutes. Baby Wise describes this as the "45 minute intruder" and is completely normal for a few days...however, this is week 2 of this behavior. Do you know how much you can get done when your child only naps for 45 minutes at a time...next to nothing. I had big list of chores I wanted to get accomplished during my maternity leave...ha! My list of chores has been edited to only include make bottle, feed Ruth Ann, clean bottle, and sterlize bottle...repeated 7-8 times daily. Laundry is also sqeezed in mix, but I seem to be doing more of Ruth Ann's laundry than my own.

Here is a gift from my Aunt Jill's visit this past weekend. My aunt has always had horses and it's only appropriate that she give Ruth Ann her first horse...even if it's stuffed and on rockers. It's already been a source of enjoyment in our home...when you squeeze the ears it makes a galloping sound and a naying sound (you know, the sound a horse makes). Anyway, it's very amusing to watch the dogs response to horse sounds...Griff tucks his tail and runs...very funny.

I love how chubby her little cheeks are in this picture. During the last two weeks Ruth Ann has been on a eating kick. I was having trouble getting her to eat a 3 oz bottle, but lately she's downing a 4 oz bottle with little to no difficulty. I think she's in the middle of a growth spurt...too much more of this and she's going to be as round as she in long!


This is the dress I wore home from the hospital in 1978! My grandmother, who Ruth Ann is named after, bought it for me to wear home. Since Ruth Ann was born in December it wasn't really the right weather for her to wear short sleeves home, but I wanted to get a photo with her wearing it before she got too big.


I'm trying to decide which I like better...photo with hair bow or head band. She obviously doesn't need the head band since she has an adequate amount of hair to hold a bow, but I think these head bands are so cute.