Let me give you but a few examples of how the "country remained the same" during the time period April 30, 1789 to May 29, 1790 (Washington's inauguration as President to Rhode Island's ratification of the Constitution of 1787):
The United States Army remained intact.
The United States Navy remained intact.
The United States Post Office continued to function as before.
Postage continued to be honored.
The coinage used prior to that time continued to be used after that time.
The boundaries of the States did not change.
The name of the country did not change.
The last of the Congresses of the Confederation, by its actions, anticipated the orderly change over to the 1st Congress under the new Constitution.
The governments of the individual states continued to function as before.
How many more do you want? How do you think it changed? By reserving seats in the new Congress for the tardy Rhode Island and North Carolina, it was apparent the 11 other States were not tossing these two out of the Union. They were providing for them. Similarly, the rebel states of the Civil War Confederacy were not tossed out of the Union. They remained in the Union (as per Texas vs White). Some of these states were without representation until Confederate anarchy could be replaced with the rule of law.
RI and NC were OUT. Empty seats mean as much as empty rhetoric. Take your lithium.
Rhode Island and North Carolina were not "tardy." They were under no obligation to accept the dictates of the other states. They had the legal right to decline to ratify the Constitution forever.