Tess-o-rama and Welcome Cooper

Tess came over and played with us today, for almost the whole day! I am like a professional mom now. It was very exciting. Maija had to take Colin to the ER for a complication with the spinal tap he had yesterday. Scary stuff, I am very relieved that he seems to be doing better now. They dropped Tess off around 9:30 (I think) and Maija came over to pick her up around 2:30. Because it was on such short notice, she came without lunch or coat in her pjs. Now I do not say this as a criticism of Maija AT ALL, but only because I am so proud of my improvising and professional mom-ing ability. Tess and Benito and I walked the lake with Wenmei and Zachary and Cowboy, our neighbors from the childbirth class. Sadly, Maisy had to stay, because I could not manage the front pack, the stroller and the hound simultaneously. It was quite the feat to just get our little trio and the stroller down the stairs in fact, and an even more impressive feat to get back up. Tess very agreeably slept the whole way, wrapped up in my sub zero parka as a coat/blanket, and Benito not very agreeably slept half the way and woke up hungry and unhappy about it. It It was really hard to listen to him cry about it on the way back, but even so, I still think he has such a cute, inoffensive little cry. He is very sweet sounding, even when he is upset.

We got back around lunch time, so I had to figure out how and what to feed Tess. We do have a high chair, so I thought that would be the best plan, but of course I don't actually know how to use it. I also had to get it out of a closet upstairs, again a challenge with both children - one who can't be left alone due to the unchildproofedness of our house and stairs, and one who wants to walk around with you all the time. But I did get it, and even got it set up, and got Tess in it. Then of course I couldn't get the stupid tray on. In the end, I got one half on, and the other half just sat sort of cockeyed not clipped in. Tess seemed like she was sort of low for the tray, so I tried to adjust the seat with her in it, not a good idea. But even inspite of that she did eat some lunch, and then went down for her nap. I also had to figure out how to lower the pack n play for the first time, which was also successful. I thought Tess was sleeping, but when I went in to check on her, she had chucked her doll out of the pack n play, and was sitting up saying "mama, mama" over and over again. So I picked her up and we played in Benjamin's room, where she was really funny, diapering her doll, and watching Jammy on his little play mat. So, her mom picked her up more or less fed, and rested, and all in one piece, although with Jam in her hair. It was a triumphant day for me.

I still don't have the memory card back in the camera, so sadly no Tess picture here. My intent has been to use pictures from the day of post, and going forward maybe that will happen, but so far I have been recycling earlier ones. So today, instead of Tess we have "welcome Cooper". Cooper Fernstrom was born a few days ago, (I am so lame I don't remember which day exactly), and we are very anxious to meet him.