Happy Birthday to My Girl!!

Not that one - this one:

Tess turns one year old today!  I can hardly believe it.  When we met her, she was one of these little furballs:  (this is her litter, but we aren't sure which one was Tess)

 
She couldn't even walk around yet at that point.

We waited and waited until we could finally bring her home.  I could barely sleep the whole week before it was time to go get her.  We spent quite a while with the females of the litter, and finally we came home with this:

I think she was 18 pounds when she came home, slightly smaller than Simon.  It's insane to think that she now weighs 90 pounds!

I have always known I wanted a Bernese Mountain Dog.  I love everything about the breed - their size, their soft fur, their sweet temperament, their laziness.  But Tess has really exceeded any expectation I could have had.  Her only flaw is her shyness, but I'll take that over hyperactivity any day.  And besides, it's a good excuse not to stop and talk to everyone who admires her in the park or on the street.  It would take us all day to get anywhere!

I am especially enjoying seeing Tess with Marlowe.  She is sweet and curious, but not overbearing.  She loves to smell her and lick her hands and feet.  Her favorite thing is taking walks, although I'm not sure if it's because she feels like she is protecting Marlowe and the stroller, or if she feels like the stroller is protecting her.  Either way, she loves it, and it makes me so happy that I can incorporate time with her and the baby, even though M is still so small.

Everyone told me that when the baby came, I would love my pets less.  Either they don't know me, or it's a total myth, because not only do I not love them less, I think I may even love them more if that's possible.  And Tess especially at this point.  I was so worried she would feel left out or forgotten, so we make a really big effort to keep her included.  But even on the days that are particularly tough and we only have time for the minimum, she is the one who keeps an even keel and only shows anxiousness when she's really gotta go. 

So, after one year, one baby, one trip to the beach, her first snowfall, her first walk on Mont Royal, her work days at the clinic and about one million cuddles, Happy Birthday to my Tessy,  Baby Girl #1.