Sunday was a crazy day in our family.  We got up early, not because we had to but because Bean doesn’t know that on Saturday mornings, Mommy and Daddy like to sleep until noon.  We’re working on that.  But it looks like it might be a while before that memo makes it to Bean’s desk.

So, we were up early and we packed up in the car and headed to New York for the day to visit friends.  I love going to New York.  Its one of my favorite places.  I’ve never been when we did the same thing twice.  So many options, so little time!  But this trip was not for lolly gagging.  This trip was to meet and greet.  And my first meet and greet?

It was with these two ladies…

See Stephanie in the middle there?  She has a blog called Queen of Quirky.  I first “met” Stephanie when she emailed me to ask if I would be interested in guest blogging on her site.  I was and I did and I had a splendid time.  Stephanie was visiting her friend, Melissa, in New York and she emailed to see if I’d like to meet for lunch.

But of course! Mainly to meet Stephanie, but also slightly because most meals on Sundays in New York involve mimosas.

Stephanie was nice enough to bring Melissa along and I was happy to find that Melissa is a blogger, too.  She has a really cute blog called Single Gal in the City that focuses on dating life.  It was the first time I’d ever met other bloggers in real life and I had a blast!  Who else can you geek out with about things like comment moderation and advertising sponsorships?

Oh, yeah.  Chris and Bean came, too.  They geeked out together over Bean’s high chair toys.

After a really wonderful and insightful lunch with new friends, Chris, Bean, and I jumped back in our car and trucked it over to Brooklyn to see some friends for a little while since we were in the city.  I’m sorry to admit this, but it was my first time in Brooklyn.  And I fell in love.

It had adorable little apartments…

And my favorite kinds of food…

And gorgeous views looking back across the river into Manhattan…

And just when I thought it couldn’t get any cuter, I went into our friends’, Brett and Linda’s, apartment and was blown away with cuteness.

The cuteness of Brett and Linda dancing with Beaner.  (Check out that white man’s overbite…)

The cuteness of Uncle Gary’s soft, hairy face.

The cuteness of Bean just hanging with us in the living room.

As fun as it has been to see Chris and I go from husband and wife to daddy and mommy…

It has been almost as fun watching our friends turn into uncles, too.

Changes are coming to our little family.  Changes that will take us to places that we’ve never been and down paths we have never crossed.  And while all these changes are stressful and sometimes overwhelming, it is so wonderful to be able to look to our friends – old friends who have been there since the very beginning and new friends who have joined us along the way – and know that every new change we encounter and every new path we venture down will be paved with their unconditional love and support.

And that makes it just a little bit easier to breathe sometimes.

A couple years ago, I bought Chris a Garmin Nuvi GPS for Christmas.  He named her Garmin and they fell instantly in love.  She spoke sweetly and yet assertively to him.  She gave him direction in his aimless life.  They forged new paths down new roads together.  They got lost and then found themselves together.  It was true love.

Garmin, however, hated me.  She hated me with all of her electronic being.  I was, of course, the other woman.  She might try to lead Chris down many other paths, but “Home” was always on his favorites list.  And Garmin blamed me.  Consequently, she never worked for me.  She was always claiming she couldn’t find my location when I was, clearly, in an easy place to find.  And she was always leading me down dark roads and telling me my destination was on my left.

It never was.

But I never complained to Garmin or to Chris.  I knew their love was special.  A place where I didn’t belong.  And so I kept those feelings to myself.

But today, I got to see the inner workings of Chris’ relationship with Garmin and, I have to say, it wasn’t so pretty.  For one thing, Chris talks so terribly to Garmin.  So, so terribly.  Its like he knows just what buttons to push to get her all worked up.

I remember when their relationship was fresh and new, Chris did anything that Garmin asked of him.

“Turn left on College,” Garmin would say.

“Okay, Garmin!”  Chris would chime and off they rode into the sunset.

But today I noticed a difference in Chris’ tone.  He was frustrated with Garmin.

“Turn left on 63rd Street,” Garmin said.

“No, Garmin!  I don’t want to go that way!” Chris would yell.  And he would instead take a right, leaving Garmin to recalculate their relationship.

“Recalculating, recalculating,” she would stammer, like a dog shoved aside.  “Recalculating.”

And then, not being one to give up on love, Garmin would try again.

“Turn left on 63rd Street.”

“I said NO, Garmin!  I don’t want to go that way!” Chris shouted.  “Why are you always making me do things YOUR way?  You’re so selfish!”

And again, Garmin was left to recalculate the direction their relationship was going.

“Turn left on 63rd Street,” Garmin said, weary, but willing to give this 100% of her effort.

“DAMMIT, GARMIN!” shouted Chris.  “QUIT TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!”

And with that, Chris put Garmin in time out in the glove box of the car.

I can’t be positive, but I think I heard Garmin’s muffled, digital, little voice whisper, “Recalculating.”

With Garmin out of site, Chris’ true intentions were revealed when he pulled a….a….a…iPhone out of his pocket!!!  Oh, no!

Oh, yes!

Chris was being unfaithful to Garmin and she was merely a few feet away from him, recalculating her love and worth inside that glove box.  There he sat.  Using the GPS on his iPhone.  Like a bastard.

They’re all bastards, Garmin.

I couldn’t help but wonder as I watched my husband shove aside his electronic mistress so thoughtlessly, “Could that have been me?  Could he have so easily shoved me in a glove box?  An extra large glove box in an extra large car?” These are the thoughts that no wife ever wants to think about for too long.

Fortunately for me, I don’t have to think about them for too long.  Chris has a terrible sense of direction and I know that he’d be lost without me.

This is my son, Bean Man.

It used to be that he could be contained.  We could sit him on the floor or throw him in his crib and he stayed there.  In one place.  Where we put him.

Now, not so much.

Now, there’s lots of moving.  Lots of free movement.  Movement that Chris and I have no control over.

And then there’s this…

And that quickly leads to this…

Which is just the beginning of this…

And we all know that this eventually leads to…

…Yep.  We have standing.  Standing up in our crib.

And, of course, standing up in our crib means that Chris spent last night lowering the mattress to the bottom setting so that Beaner doesn’t get so excited that he jumps ship.

I realize that eight months into this whole parenting gig, I should be used to change.  Babies change every single day.  Every morning Bean wakes up, something’s different.  He’s bigger or he’s smarter or he’s trying new foods or he’s playing with different toys.  Every day is change with a baby.  I should be used to this by now.

And, most days, I am okay with all the change.  Most days I’m even excited about it.  I mean, this is way more gratifying that growing a houseplant.  Bean gives kisses and high fives.  My houseplants could never do that.

But some days, all the change and growth in Bean is almost scary.  What if I can’t keep up with him?  What if I’m not giving him what he needs at each new stage?  What if…

Just when I think I’m going to go crazy with all this change, Chris gives me this sweet little smile and tells me, “I just love him.”  And with those little words, I can handle the change.  I get excited about all the change.  I’m ready for the next change.

Except for the standing.  I don’t know if even Chris can prepare me for the standing…