I didn’t work today. Not a bit. Tess and I spent the whole day together, taking Stella on walks, singing, tummy time, reading, drinking bottles/coffee, a little straightening up…domestic and quiet. Maternity leave!

I realized that since Tess’ birth, we’ve been scrambling to fit everything in, from the NICU visits to renovation work to family time to our actual work. It wasn’t my first day off, but up until now I’ve taken them when I was too tired to work productively. That means not enjoying the time off as much, and not being energized for Tess!

When Dave came home, I was relaxed and happy. Tess was bathed and fed, and Stella had had multiple walks. We had a good day. I’m ready to dive into work tomorrow with fully-recharged energy and concentration.

Tess was lovely. Her expressions are so funny, and she watches every move we make. When she got fussy, I tucked her into the stroller and she quieted right down for our walk. I did learn that trying to feed her after a bath is absurd. She’s a zombie. Stella’s figuring out that she can’t go tearing off toward every tree in the park – the stroller doesn’t offroad. She’s really adapting to the new family member, and is curious about Tess’ smells and intrigued by her noises but not freaked out by her presence. She actually seems to enjoy her.