Moving

Last week we moved to Brooklyn. Packing up all your belongings is a drag for anyone, but throw in a ticking clock (we had 36 hours from the time we came home from Texas) a baby who is afraid of packing tape (Roan started shrieking whenever he heard it), and 8 months of sleep deprivation and you've got the worst experience since natural childbirth.

It should have been easy. Our old apartment is less than 600 square feet. Where did all this stuff come from? When we finished boxing it all up, you couldn't see the floor. There was no where to walk. I began to see the the advantage of certain suburban requisites, like garages.

My mom flew in to keep us on task. If it weren't for her work ethic, we would probably still be in Chelsea, muscling through boxes to get to the bathroom. Even with Roan off site (we hired a babysitter to keep him outside all day) this was more than a three person job. I kept trying to take breaks for things like lunch, sleep, or a shower, but my mother kept pushing me to fill just one more box. In a way, it was like my first month of motherhood, except I spent all my time packing instead of all my time breastfeeding.

I love our new apartment. It's more than triple the size of our old place, and we have a private backyard. Roan has his own room, and has slept through the night twice! Jay and I have our own room, too! We no longer have to sit on top of each other (we have a couch and a table, with chairs!), and Jay doesn't have to participate in all my phone conversations (I can go in a different room!). There is a downstairs that we haven't really used yet, because having the option of being on separate floors is just too bizarre. Jay set up his new grill last night, and BBQ'd steak for his parents, which we ate outside. After the meal, I caught Jay hugging his grill. It has replaced Roan as the wallpaper on his phone.

If I'm honest I have to admit that despite all the extra space, we are still sitting on top of each other. When the three of us are all home, we probably spend 90% of our time all in the same room - even if it's Roan's room, which is very small. I'm so fortunate to have all this space, but I'm even more blessed to have a family who is happy living life within 100 square feet of each other.