Two days of silence! Apologies. I wish we could say we’ve been doing really fun stuff, but it’s more banal than that. Friday is the day we brought our dog Stella home! A huge thank you to Max and Patty, who took incredible care of her for the last few months. Stella seemed startled to be back and unsure of what this smelly, tiny creature was all about. When the baby cries, she leaps to her feet and looks frantically at Dave and I, hoping we know what to do. Still, we had an adorable moment Saturday, where Stella walked up to Tess in her swing and they just stared at each other. I wish I had a picture!

We spent Friday afternoon sorting out the kitchen for the big move to the dining room: our temporary kitchen as of sometime soon. Sorting out, paring down, organizing – refreshing when completed, frustrating while in process. I’m a band-aid ripper and am ready to just do it already! (It’s been maybe 2 days. I’m also impatient by nature. Picture Dave choking as he reads this hard won admission!) Dave put up his utilitarian, originally for basement storage shelves for a kitchen pantry, and I filled them while he went out for a guy’s night Friday. Tess therefore picked Friday to be inconsolable, so we ended up trying the Moby wrap a little earlier than suggested so I could keep her with me while I stacked cans and packages of pasta (fascinating, right?). It seemed to keep her happy and left me with free hands, so we’ll call it a win. Mom had the great idea of storing breakable glass and china in the empty living room cupboards, so Tess and I moved all of that, too.

Unfortunately, things did not improve from there. She woke up every hour and a half all night, which is not like her and which I did not like! By the time Dave got home, the womenfolk were pretty harried. I am aware that her normal nighttime behavior is a gift, and I’m not complaining (too much) about one random fussy night. Still, ack! Adjustments. 🙂

Needless to say, we did not wake up with bright and shining faces Saturday morning. Still, we ended up relaxing: getting the CSA, taking Tess and Stella for a long walk (again with the Moby wrap) and hanging out at home. Tess got a bath and we got to go to bed early. Domestic bliss is the weekend theme!

Sunday started off well with a visit from my sister Micaela and her inseparable buddy Catherine. We all had coffee and then I cooked Dave breakfast while he walked the dog. I know these are boring activities, but the shiny niceness of boring has not worn off for us yet! Every ‘normal’ day leads to smiles and contentment. I’m assuming at some point that will get old, but for now it’s a daily delight. Bear with us.

Family dinner was all about family! Doug and Sue held Tess for the first time, and dad held her for the first time since getting sick. She handled it pretty well, considering she’s pretty much only held by Dave and I on every other day! Dinner was a blast: giggles, Milwaukee news, beautiful scenery, family and fun. Awesome.

Family dinner, sunshine, walking the dog, and Sunday disappeared. Tomorrow we have our follow-up visit with the adoption agency and we’re interviewing a potential nanny. Fingers crossed! Let the week begin.