integrating the new into the old

There are many things we've grown accustomed to since Lily's arrival.

Sleeping for no more than 6 hours (and that was one lucky night!) at a time. Eating dinner every night in the living room at the couch since it's easier to feed and care for Lily sitting on a recline than it is at the dining room.
The sound of baby's cries and the smell of baby's diapers. Lily.

I'd say we're used to her.
Used to our new life with her.
But that's not to say we've incorporated her much into our old life just yet. That begins this weekend.

I'm used to staying home with Lily all day while Brad goes off to work, and honestly it's very fulfilling. I feel no void in staying literally in one room at times for 8 hours straight. I love it - the new normal. But what happens when we try to do things that used to be normal with Lily now in the picture? We're yet to find out.

{They're coming for the whole weekend}

My two best friends. I CAN. NOT. WAIT.

But I'm a little scared. It won't be like before and I hope my besties are prepared for that. We won't be out on the town, or probably even out of the house for more than one excursion. We won't be sleeping in the same bed because I need to have Lily in the bassinet near me which means likely they'll sleep on the futon and me in my room, with Lily. Oh did I mention I'm sleep-training Lily so they'll have to deal with her piercing cries? Yeah.

The new struggle in coming months for Brad and I will be the integration of Lily into our old activities. Taking Lily out with me so I can go shopping, for a walk, grab a coffee, visit some friends instead of them always coming to me...
Leaving Lily with a friend (gasp! my heart riles at this thought just now...) while we go to a movie, on a date, our for an hour, to a concert (we have tickets for a concert on November 12th and I'm still having doubts about if I'll be able to handle it!).

The new normal is Lily either comes to everything we do or we find someone to care for her while we go off. There's no decision we make now without her in mind. I'm in love with the new normal, though maybe I'd take a couple more hours of sleep per night and a few less tears (from Lily and me!)... but will my friends be as in love?

Will they understand that Lily right now is my acting-best-friend in that she's priority one and gets all of my attention and most of my time, even when people are in town I miss more than most FAMILY members. Can the new normal be a foursome instead of the three of us? Can the new clique be Cath-Mis-Em-Lily, at least for now?