The hibernating female

If your female friends are anything like mine, they go missing once they enter a new relationship- a time that I like to deem the hibernation period.

They stop taking phone calls. Or, if they do take phone calls, it's right before they are headed to their new lover's place or right before he is about to come over. And, of course, the new beau is the hot topic of discussion (much to the chagrin of your single friends who haven't had a guy since Beverly Hills 90210 was the show to watch). If you can get a few minutes of their time in person, they are watching their cell phone and their watch like a hawk because they're counting down the minutes until they hear their guy's voice or see their guy's face.

Now, I think it's okay to be this way for maybe two to three months. The relationship is new and you want to relish every moment of it.

However, I've seen people act this way throughout the entire course of a year-long relationship. Actually, when the person started returning phone calls almost a year later, everybody knew the relationship was over.

And, as more and more people that I know get married, I'm noticing there can be a second bout of hibernation during the newlywed phase. They can't do anything without the other present. Don't even attempt to call them during the first six months.

Now, I will admit that I have committed the same crime myself when starting anew with a significant other. However, it usually doesn't last for more than two to three months because eventually I realize that I have to notify some people that I am alive. Then I return to my friends, who of course have to admonish me for my disappearance before they acccept me with open arms. They have to because they know the second they meet a special someone, we will just trade seats.

When you enter into a relationship, do you enter this hibernation phase? If not, how are you able to avoid it? If so, how long does it usually last?