I have mixed feelings about my maternity leave coming to an end. I have done this before and I know we'll get back into a routine quickly and I'll enjoy having adult conversations and getting back in touch with my "professional" self, but I wish I had even more time. I know I'll miss the kids, especially Noah. But I know I shouldn't complain. Four months is a very generous leave that most families can't afford and I'm truly thankful for the time I've had.
When I was on leave after Noah was born I remember being ready to go back to work. Tony often jokes about how frustrating it was for him that I was stuck at the house all day and ready to do "exciting" things like going grocery shopping after he came home from work. But spending all day with just an infant was so different. Quite honestly, I was often simply bored at home but couldn't do much with the new baby. While having two is clearly much more work, it has also been so much more fun. I've really used this time not only to bond with and take care of Ava, but also to spend lots of quality time with Noah. We've been getting along better than we ever have, Noah has been speaking more and more German with me and we've gone on so many fun adventures together. And Ava just tags along. No schedule, just going wherever Noah and I go. I don't know what I would have done without my baby carrier!
This weekend has been all about preparing for the week ahead of us - washing bottles and pump parts, making and freezing lasagna, grocery shopping for the week, packing diaper bags, preparing lunches, etc. I have to say I feel pretty good about how organized I am and I'm hoping it will last a bit longer than this first week. Ava will be going to the same school as Noah, and we will fall back into our old routine: me leaving early for work, Tony dropping the kids off, and me picking them up again in the afternoon. I'll keep you all posted on how it all goes.
To give you an idea of how much fun we've had, here's a list of the many adventures we went on in the last four months:
- Went to children's museums in Everett, Burlington, and Lincoln
- Touched sea stars at the Aquarium in Seattle
- Had fun at the playground
- Watched ducks at the lake
- Went on a last minute surprise trip to grandma and grandpa's farm in Nebraska for Christmas
- Went for long walks listening to music
- Attended story time at the library a few times
- Played at a bouncy house fun park
- Went to a rodeo in Yakima
- Watched elk at the wildlife feeding station
- Ate lunch in a school bus
- Saw a two headed turtle at the Reptile Zoo
- Went to a wedding
- Ate sushi
- Had pay dates with Noah's bff
- Baked gingerbread men
- Picked out and decorated a Christmas tree
- Went to a Husky tailgate
- Threw rocks in the water and played with crab legs on the beach
- Played with a real airplane at Boeing
- Baked a cake with way too much frosting
- Went swimming
- Had a picnic on the living room floor
- Had a dance party
- Made lanterns and went for a walk singing St Martin's songs
- Went to an animal farm
- Went to a pumpkin patch and made pumpkin pie
- Dressed up as a cowboy for Halloween
No comments:
Post a Comment