Say Uncle.

Maybe because I grew up with limited extended family, I've been rendered super-squishy at the sight of our family interacting with and enjoying our Tess.

For example, behold the sibs:

I can't wait to see how Tess' relationship with these three grows.

In other news, Matt went back to work this week and I did not go insane. At least, not on the first day. Day two - today - was slightly more touch and go, as leaving the house was involved. C-section rules state I can't yet lift anything as heavy as Tess' car seat with her in it, so I've had to get a little creative with transportation. Luckily, she's really taken to the Baby Bjorn and she didn't seem to much mind being moved back and forth between it and the car multiple times today. Phew.

I feel like I've learned a million lessons since becoming a mom and today's lesson was, bring a change of baby clothes because your infant could and probably will have a simultaneous liquid feces explosion and gigantic milk regurgitation at some highly public and inopportune time. Oops. You also may or may not be semi-topless, having just nursed. Double oops.

Tess' alertness continues to remain off the charts:

Her periods of quiet wakefulness are extending and it's so much fun. I read to her for the first time today and she seemed to dig it. We only got halfway through Big Red Barn (a real page turner, I assure you. I can't wait to see how it ends!) but my voice and the book above her head seemed to entertain her for about a minute and a half. I'll take it.

We continue to work towards pacifier self-sufficiency:

I never thought I'd be so desperate for my kid to be paci-dependent but omfg, people. I'd do a.ny.thing for her to be better with it. She kept it in today by herself for a minute or two, which was thrilling, but she ended up spitting it out pretty fast. The look of despair and betrayal on her face when she realizes this particular nipple does not hold the promise of milk is priceless.

Speaking of milk, the biggest news of the day is that our small piglet is up to 8lbs! The lactation consultant weighed her and I was so relieved to hear she's now the size of...the average newborn. (Womp, womp.) Who knew Matt and I could produce such a tiny peanut?? At any rate, she'll eat anything that's liquid and not nailed down, which I'm thankful for. Little lady is really packin' on the oz's.