"without compass, nor cane, nor lantern light / she leads us in the changing"

One month anniversary of Gotcha Day -- which seems so long ago even while I'm all "wait, already?" Things are settling down, a bit -- TBD's sleeping has been stable for a while, at least for the night, as naptime is still under negotiation, and the daily routine is sorting itself out. We're still learning how to cook, though at least we have a stable of staples that are acceptable, and almost half the time we can tell the difference between cries of tired, boredom, teething pain, and tantrum.

In short, we're starting to get enough breathing room to go beyond pure survival mode. Which is why I'm out of the house for an hour on my own, catching up on email (or some of it). Enough breathing room that I can take a deep breath.

In this month, I've read not one drop of fiction, nor poetry aside from a literal handful of nursery rhymes -- it's all been parenting advice, Dr Google, and articles saved up in Pocket against this occasion. Last night, though, I pulled out my e-reader and recharged it. And after a few minutes, I'm going to turn it on and read something.

I think it's going to work out.

---L.

Subject quote from "Vespertine Autumn," Pamela Wyn Shannon.