Surprise!

OK, try not to look too surprised! It hasn't been all that long since my last blog post!

Truth is, I've been waiting for something terribly exciting to write about. Seeing as that is not likely to happen anytime soon, these pics will have to suffice.

Dad came home to us after he spent a long weekend in Utah attending his grandmother's funeral. The service was nice and he really enjoyed seeing his sisters and extended family again. He even got to see Mer, Bri & LK (I'm very jealous!).

Tess & I were sure ready for Ry to be back! Tess' shrieking episodes reached new heights (in pitch, decibel level & frequency) while he was gone, and Mom's tolerance levels reached new lows!

It's so nice to have Ry around to help break up the monotony, even if it's just for a little while in the morning & evening (and sometimes middle of the night!). Ryan is a such a good dad! He's a calming influence on Tess (and me), which is wonderful.

While Dad was gone, Tess continued her adventures in the land of fruits and vegetables. Since everyone was so hopeful about Sweet Potatoes, we gave those a go. She did OK with them, but her favorite thus far is Peas! I'm a little horrified by that--they look so terrible! But she wolfs them down!

We tried Peaches today. Those have produced the worst faces from Tessie so far. I thought she would like them, but I had a taste and they are pretty sour. She still ate her Peaches, just not with the same gusto as some of the others.

We too were hunted down for a free photo portrait in Babies R Us today. Usually I turn them down, figuring that there will be a high-pressure sales pitch to get you to buy more pics.

I had an annoying experience with the photo shoot lady while I was in the hospital with Tessie. "What, you don't want to buy your baby's hospital picture?" (In other words, "Such a new mom and already such a terrible one!") "What's wrong, don't you think your baby is beautiful?" Yes, if only my baby weren't so hideous. Or rather, if only your camera work weren't so artless.

But Brooke seemed to fair pretty well from her Babies R Us photo session (I didn't notice any missing pounds of flesh), so I figured, "Why not?"

The experience once again confirmed that Tessie would make a terrible baby model. She's developed this fear of strangers lately and she was terrified of the photographer. But Tess managed to warm up, and we got a gummy grin out of her.

That's about it for now. We're looking forward to a long weekend away! Hopefully more pics will follow!