KDUNK

There are many things I miss about living pre-kid:

Sleeping late. Sleeping at all. Traveling anywhere in the world and not worrying about places that might be ‘kid friendly’. The weekends with my husband where we’d grab our cameras and go – no plans for the entire day. Seeing friends. Sleeping in my husband’s arms and not butt to butt because we are so tired and just need our rest. Eating. Actual meals. Not something you stuff in your face because it will merely fill your belly and fuel you up for the next hour. Peeing alone. Walking at a slow speed. Free time of any sort. Uninterrupted phone conversations and not having to go because someone is starving or crying. A clean and tidy house.

There are many things I love about living with a kid:

Getting no sleep but it’s quiet and we are nursing and I see she’s developed another fat roll under her chin. Traveling to new stores and places I’ve never been in the neighborhood that I’ve lived in for several years and had only walked past before. The weekends where it is the three of us and we take Lili to Brooklyn Chinatown for dumplings or something fun and semi-adventurous. Seeing friends with kids that give us hope that it only gets better. The three of us sleeping in the same bed side by side. Eating when Lili eats. Buying cookbooks of foods to make her when she can eat solids. Peeing wearing a sling which makes me feel like I can truly accomplish anything. Walking at a fast speed allowing me to be productive with my day. Free time spent reading books to Lili as she talks back to the images. Conversations that are cut short allowing me enough time to sing Lili one more song before bed. And finally – the unclean and untidy house – the stuff – baby lotions, baby blankets, baby books and toys, the wipes and finally the little tiny socks no bigger than my thumb that I find scattered about the apartment. I love all of it. A constant reminder that we are finally a family now. For this I am grateful. Less lonely.