A huge change occurred in our lives last August, which not only affected David and I, but also Harvey and Norm. Our daughter and their sister, Mae, was born. I will admit that the newborn experience was quite traumatizing for all residents of the Kaplan household. Norm spent days and nights hiding under the bed and Harvey slept outside many nights refusing to succumb to Mae's screeching cry. More recently, as Mae has begun to respond and pay attention to Harvey and Norm, it's been a lot more fun. Mae loves to share Norm's bone, play with his ears, and tries to grab his balls (tennis, that is). She laughs uncontrollably when Harvey has his super relaxed, "in the zone" face and best of all, she drops all kinds of treats for them at meal time. As the months pass quickly, it is so endearing to watch my three "kids" interact. Of course, there are still difficult times and Norm stuffs himself under the bed and Harvey insists on not coming in the house, but they have really taken Mae in as one of their own. Undeniably, Harvey and Norm are both getting older, each with their own health problems. It's hard to imagine our home and Mae growing up without them. But for now, I'm trying my best to cherish this precious time we all have together.
