Joshua is one month old now, and we have been at grandma’s this whole time. His daddy was able to take FMLA and arrive on Christmas, and we have been here ever since, in a nice warm bubble of accessible laundry machines and felt community…
…and growing tension.
We have to finish up the insurance process, and because of the way the union seems to think we’re still in the 50s, that has to be done by mail. The forms were mailed to the apartment in NJ.
We have to set up the tiny apartment that we’re in so that it will contain us, and Joshua’s growth, for the next year as we renew our lease in February in order to keep the stable income and health insurance through the union for at least the first year of his life as we simultaneously grow things that will take their place and plan for our return to South Carolina.
We have a sick cat who has been contained in what would have been/will eventually be Joshua’s room, and we have had to medicate him twice a day as well as tend to the baby.
We have two, sometimes three, adults with full blown Opinions spending A LOT of time together since only one of them has a day job they are going to at the moment.
People have been trying to call, to visit, to make requests of my time and attention that I simply do not have the bandwith for.
When I say that all of my attention and energy, mentally, physically, and spiritually, have been directed at parenting (and figuring out all the parenting things people normally have 7-9 months to learn and plan for during any pocket of downtime), I am not exaggerating. I have been completely consumed.
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