Tuesday marked my return to work - and the land of my non-sweatpants-wearing, minimally-covered-in-spit-up, mostly groomed self. And it's been fabulous. No tears have been shed. I have loved almost every minute of it.
The work part has been pretty minimal so far - mostly going through thousands of emails and a stack of mail. The rest of my time has been spent showing people pictures of my boy, and hearing how great I look. (Note: I'm not bragging. I don't think I look so good but, in comparison to the last time most of these people saw me -- at nine and a half months pregnant, boated, irritated, waddling everywhere, grimacing from sciatica, with a belly the size of an ATV - - the still carrying some baby belly and slightly exhausted postpartum me looks not so bad. It's all about your reference point. Heidi Klum walking the runway in lacy underthings two months after giving birth I most certainly am not.) In terms of actual work and assignments, this is the honeymoon phase of being a working mama, before the full deluge of tasks hits my desk.
Here's what so fabulous about it: I get to go to the bathroom when I want to, instead of thinking, "I just got Axel to calm down and if I put him down in his pack and play he'll get all riled up so how long, exactly, can I hold it before I burst or cause some sort of damage to my bladder?" That's GREAT! And I can drink a cup of tea while it's still warm and eat my lunch all in one sitting. AMAZING! And having conversations with several adults in one day? It rocks.
Sure, I miss Axel a little. I miss him snuggling up against me in his sling, his gleeful and toothless smiles, and cheering him on as he swats and kicks the toys dangling above his floor gym. But I did not cry when I left - I was leaving him with his very capable and loving father. Maybe I'll cry when he's in daycare in a few months or when I'm away from Axel for more than a few days a week, but, for now, this transition is smooth like I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. Getting out the door is rather hectic, what with juggling feeding the baby and myself and the dog and cleaning up after all three of us and trying to make sure I have my pump and my purse, but I figure as long as I'm wearing shoes (and they match!), and have brushed my teeth, I'm good.
Stay tuned for part three of working nine to five: take your baby to work day. My employer has a policy in which you can bring a "quiet baby" to the office with you for up to three months after maternity leave. With meetings and whatnot, I can't do this everyday, but I'm going to try to swing it for a day a week or so which, combined with the option of working from home, means I'll be able to stay with Axel for two or three weekdays every week for a few months. (Three cheers for family friendly employers!) Next Tuesday will be the test to see if Axel fits the "quiet" criteria. Anyone know where I can get a baby muzzle? Just kidding. Maybe I'll just play some Mozart really loudly to drown out any squawks, under the guise of building his synapses and whatnot.
