The boxes are unpacked. We have Reilly’s crib up, with Elmo sitting in his corner, and diapers are stacked and ready on the changing table. The cabinets have been baby-proofed. Reilly’s toys are all over the living room. Yet, despite getting things in order, we all feel a bit out of sorts. Shawn and I are still adjusting to what should be a vacation, but isn’t. I miss the City. Shawn misses the City terribly.
Reilly loves her new home. Like our old apartment, her favorite place is still the bathroom. She likes to go in, shut the door, and pull the TP off the roll. I let her do it because it makes me laugh. At some point, I know I’ll have to undo this habit, or at least start keeping the door shut, but for now, unwinding the TP roll is entertainment for two.
Reilly’s new best friend is Leia, our old dog. Reilly loves to feed Leia her dog food piece by piece, while also trying to sneak a nugget or two into her own mouth. Leia is extremely patient with this little invader, and tolerates Reilly’s shrieking and crying and tail pulling. For her part, Leia likes Reilly too, especially when Reilly is eating Cheerios. Since Reilly drops three Cheerio’s for every one she gets in her mouth, Leia follows her around to keep the floor clean.
Reilly also has been enjoying the attention of her family, swimming with Aunt Morgan, eating applesauce with Papa Bear and Granny, riding in her Radio Flyer wagon with Nana, and going out to lunch with Grandma Donna. From Grandpa Craig, Reilly only asks for one thing: a bite of his sandwich. He always complies. What else is a grandfather for?
The car still presents a challenge for us, as Reilly hates being constricted to her carseat. We try to time car trips around Reilly’s naptime so that we can give her the pacifier. (As you’ll remember, under the Law of the Pacifier, this is an acceptable practice.) If we take her out and it is not her naptime, we brace ourselves for a good bout of frustrated crying.
We all have things to adjust to. Reilly to her carseat. Shawn to working from home. As for me, you’ll notice that I’ve yet to update my profile on this blog. I don’t quite feel ready to make the change because I don’t yet know what my identity is here—who I am, how I fit into this house, this city, this state. Still, I remain an optimist, as I know that all things come in time.
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