Going Back | Week One Update
Friday. SO good to see you again. After what seemed like a million cups of coffee.. 800 hours in the car and too many minutes away from my baby girls, I made it through my first week back at work.
It is terribly hard to leave your sweet littles while you, the mama, goes to work outside of the home. I am so grateful I have the support system that I do while we make this transition. Words of encouragement, cards, texts, and emails came flooding in from friends, family, and my sweet husband on my first day back at work this week. Jordan left me an “I’m so proud of you” card in my bag and I didn’t notice it until I got to work and went to pull out my laptop. I couldn’t read it until almost the end of my day because every time I started, tears would well and I wouldn’t get past the first line.
Well played, sweet man.
I know I am not the first mother to leave her birds, and as I am sitting at the end of this week, I realized that it went by so quickly and it wasn’t that bad.
I was able to be home with Parker, Jolie, and Baker for fifteen weeks straight. Fifteen weeks of growth as a mother of my three girls. Fifteen weeks to spend nurturing my daughters during all wake hours of the day. Fifteen weeks that were so amazing, SO fun, but at the same time the hardest job I have ever done in my life.
E V E R.
I eased back into my working-mom-life slowly. I started working from home about a 2 weeks ago – answering emails and jumping into conference calls when needed. BB + Papa (Jordan’s parents) help us tremendously during the work week – and when I am at work and Jordan is at the fire station, BB cares for the girls. They have been in Europe for the last two weeks – SO, my going back to work was somewhat delayed:)
NO one is complaining.
no one.
Monday I was able to get a few last minute errands in, groceries for the week..and not to mention loads of snuggles with my biggest girls and the littlest sister.
We headed out pretty early for the day and Target was first on our list of ‘to-do’s’. Although they look less than enthused, they thought it was hilarious that we came to the grocery store in our jammies. They must not remember running errands with me all the time when they were wee babes in their jams. Just check the hashtag #pandjinpjs. So many grocery carts. So many jammies.
We spent the rest of the afternoon lounging (in our jammies) at home. Playing, reading, and watching Mickey’s Monster Musical .
While I made dinner, this baby girl got in some core strength exercises sitting in the Bumbo.
..and these two took it upon themselves to host a tea party on the patio.
No tea party is complete without a princess crown. Pants aren’t required.
We ended up eating macaroni and cheese (from the box) and corn dogs outside at the table. It was such a gorgeous evening and I didn’t want to pass up this opportunity!
This was the perfect end to my last official day home on maternity leave.
My first day back to work was a whirlwind. Back to back meetings.. and before I knew it It was time for me to load up to come home. I got home and we decide to take a walk before dinner.
The ducks were high-tailing it to the fence once they saw us coming. The girls got a major kick out it watching them come so close.
The next few days were tougher than the first. I was busy playing catch-up, but just wanted to be home with my babes. Jordan would send me the best pictures of his day to help get me excited about what I was coming home to.
..again. Pants are optional.
tee c/o emerald sky
h o l d i n g her own bottle, folks.
..and then I’d send him a picture of my own day.
Definitely not nearly as cute at all.
Today is the day I’ve been looking forward to all week! I will continue working the same hours as before- Monday-Thursday in the office, so I get to be home all day with my people I missed so much.
We don’t have a ton of plans this weekend – a couple of birthday parties, Costco+Sams, lunch on the patio .. and church somewhere in the mix.
Good news is, I survived.
Hey Fri-YAY. I’m ready for ya:)
October 23, 2015
I have a 7 week old baby girl and I am headed back to work in 5 weeks. I have been EBF – Any tips on introducing a bottle? I plan to BF mornings and evenings – and will pump once I'm back at work – but she will be bottle fed during the day. Any particular bottle brand you prefer? Did Baker take a bottle right away? Any tips would be great! Thank you! So enjoy reading your blog!
oh the time spent with the Medela! 😉 but WORTH IT!
Sounds like the first week went by like a breeze! So glad. Hopefully all this rain won't damper your weekend plans too much ?
going back to work is SO hard!! i remember it with my first and i was in a fog and cried all the time. i'm home on maternity leave with my second and am pretending the day i go back isn't coming. ever. but most importantly… that MILK!!! please oh please share your pumping at work tips because i NEVER got that much milk at work and it stressed me to the max! way to go, mama!
It is so hard going back to work! Congrats on surviving!! Your girls are seriously the cutest.
I cried into my coffee when I went back to work. I was the director of the early learning center my daughter went to (and I had hired her amazing teachers) and I was still heartbroken. Add having to pump to that and it was a long first week. But you did it! You are setting such an amazing example for your little birds! One day at a time…
Way to go, superstar! I'm a new mom to a 6 1/2 week old, and I'm hoping to be able to stay home. But even that seems hard a lot of the time.
Along with Mickey's Monster Musical we also like to watch Mickey's Treat: http://smile.amazon.com/Mickey-Mouse-Clubhouse-Mickeys-Treat/dp/B000QXDG52/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1445723287&sr=8-1&keywords=mickey%27s+treat+dvd
It's another good one to have in your collection to watch every October with the family.
Terribly late to this post, but oh man is it hard to go back to work. Seeing that Medela pump picture brought me all these flashbacks (and flashforwards – to about 9 months from now) of being hooked up to that contraption 4 times a day!
Sounds like you're doing a great job 🙂 I have to go back to the office in January and know it will be hard but I'm glad to know I'll survive 🙂